Never In My Wildest Dreams
by Svart Jasmin
Summary: Having witnessed her mother jumping from one marriage to another, and having been cheated on by her boyfriend of two years, Anastasia Steele has sworn off marriage and love. Then one day, she meets Christian Grey, and sparks go flying. Based on the movie "The Backup Plan". HEA, NO Cheating, NO BDSM, OOC, AU.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ana POV

Friday, September 26th, 2014

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

I look up from the magazine I'm reading at my best friend Jose, who was so kind to accompany me to my appointment.

"For the millionth time, yes I'm sure." I say with a smile. "This is what I want, Jose. I don't want to go through what Carla has been through, and this is the only way for me to get what I always wanted."

"Sweetheart, you're 25. Don't you think you're still young for this?"

"No, I'm not. This is what I've always wanted, and you know this more than anyone." I say and roll my eyes at him.

Jose and I have been best friends since we were in KG. His father and mine served in the military together, and our families were neighbors at the military base where we lived. Both our families thought that we would end up together, but I knew that would never be the case.

When he came out at 16, they too knew it wouldn't be the case.

Jose has been my rock through my life, and through all my experiences. My life hasn't been exciting by any standard, but my mother's was, and it has left its print on me and the way I've lived my life.

When I was 5, my mother filed for divorce from my stepfather, who was her second husband anyway. My biological father was her first husband, and my stepfather's friend. He was killed in a car accident when I was a year old, and I don't really remember anything about him. Ray, my stepfather, stepped up when my mother was going to be asked to leave the military base, because her husband has passed on, and not wanting my mother to leave all her friends and the life she knew most of her life, they agreed to get married.

At first, their marriage was that of convenience, but they fell in love as time went on, and their marriage became real.

Well, at least until my mother decided to cheat on Ray with someone else.

Luckily, Ray had officially adopted me by then, and he got custody of me when they divorced. I later found out that my mother didn't really fight him for custody in the first place.

"Anastasia Steele?" I hear my name being called, and I'm pulled away from my musings. I look at the nurse who's holding my chart in her hands, and she gives me a warm smile when I stand up.

"We're ready for you now." She says, and I feel my heart skip a beat with excitement.

"This is it!" I say and look at Jose, who only smiles at me.

"For one last time, dear. Are you sure?" He asks, and I can't help but giggle.

"Yes!" I say before I walk towards the nurse. She smiles at me again as she escorts me back to the examination room in the back. She asks me to undress from the waist down, and to put on the blue gown before getting on the bed.

"Ms. Steele." Dr. Greene says as she walks into the examination room 5 minutes later. "You seem excited."

"I am!" I say with a giggle.

"Now, let's not keep our hopes up. This might not work on the first time." Dr. Greene says as she goes over my chart.

"I know, but I can't help but feel giddy about this." I say and lay back on the bed.

"A positive outlook will always work in your favor; I just don't want you to be overly disappointed if it doesn't work out this time around. We can always try again if that happens, but I just want you to keep your mind open to all possibilities."

"I will, doctor." I say and take a deep breath to calm myself down a bit.

"Ok then." Dr. Greene says as she put on a pair of latex gloves. "Let's do this."

I'm laying on my back in the exam room, and I can't seem to get my heart to calm down.

I did it!

I just hope that it works out from the first time.

Dr. Greene said that I should stay on my back for 30 minutes. So, here I am, thinking about how my life could possibly change after today!

I wonder how Ray would feel about this.

My mind wander back to the day I decided that I would do this, and I can't help but smile at how at ease I felt with my decision.

It was the day I received a call from my mother, informing that she had gotten married for the 6th time. I had just turned 22, and had also broken up with my boyfriend of 2 years after finding out that he had been cheating on me for a full year of our 2 years relationship.

That was the day I decided that I will not relay on a man to help me make my dream of having a baby come true. I decided that once I turn 25, I will have an IUI to get pregnant, and start on my family dream of having my own.

Who needs a man to make their dreams come true?!

On my 25th birthday, I went to a sperm bank with Jose, and reluctantly, he helped me select the donor. According to the profile I chose, he's 6" tall, Caucasian, has a build body frame, weighs 160, has dark hair, and enjoys reading and exploring nature. The donor also supposedly has brown eyes, and was 21 when he made his donation. He's a student, who majors in English literature, and has a GPA of 3.8.

I remember the donor's profile had so many other details, but those are the ones that caught my eyes, and once I saw that he enjoyed reading and is studying English lit, I was sold.

Jose is still skeptical about my decision. He's been in a committed relationship for the past 5 years, and his boyfriend, Ethan, is simply amazing.

He keeps telling me that if he could find his true love, then so will I.

I'm really happy for him, but I don't want to risk having my heart broken over and over. It's very rare to find people who remain in love after years of being together, the only couple that I know who have been married for years are Jose's parents. My mother, on the other hand, is a prime example of how love never lasts. The fact that's she's been married 6 times proves that it's impossible to remain faithful or in love after years.

The asshole I called a boyfriend for 2 years is another example.

Ray is another example of never recovering from a broken heart. After my mom, he was never able to commit to a relationship. He's dated, but it never went beyond a few dates. When I asked him about that, he said that my mother hurt him too much to allow anyone else into his heart.

I never want to feel that. I admit that I felt strongly about the asshole, but I don't think I ever loved him. Maybe something in me knew that it would never last, and I was never able to give my heart to him willingly.

The one type of love I know would never break my heart is the love I will have for my child. When I look at Ray, and at Jose's parents, I can see pure love in their eyes and actions towards us, and that is the only type of love I'm willing to invest in.

My son or daughter will never break my heart the way my mother broke Ray's heart. They would never intentionally hurt me.

They will love me just as I will love them.

Unconditionally.

The binge of the alarm on my phone pulls me away from my thoughts, indicating that 30 minutes have lapsed, and I sit up on the bed, stretching my muscles as I move.

"You can get dressed now, Ms. Steele." I hear Dr. Greene say as she walks back into the examination room. "If things go according to plan, I'll see you in a few weeks for your first checkup. If not, please get back on the hormonal treatment at the beginning of your cycle, and make another appointment for next month to do things over, if you want of course."

"Of course. I hope I don't need to, but I will keep trying until I get pregnant." I say as I run my hands through my hair.

"We can only try for three months in a row, Ms. Steele. Your body needs to rest if our attempts keep failing, but we can pick up after two months of rest."

"I hope things don't come to that, but I understand." I say with a small nod and watch as Dr. Greene scribbles something on a piece of paper then she hands it to me.

"These are prenatal vitamins. I want you to start on them the minute you find out you are pregnant, and once I see you after that, I'll prescribe anything else you may need."

"Great!" I say as I hold tightly on the prescription, feeling like it's my first indication of my new life.

"I'll leave you to get dressed now, and I hope to see you for a prenatal check next time." She says with a warm smile before she leaves the room, leaving me with my own smile.

I get off the bed and start getting dressed, the smile never leaving my face.

I did it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Ana POV**

 ** _Sunday, November 9_** ** _th_** ** _, 2014_**

"Ana, you won't believe the phone call I received today!" Jose says as he barges into my bedroom, but he stops in his tracks when he finds me in tears on my bed. "What's wrong?"

"It's negative." I say, looking down at the pregnancy test in my hands.

"Oh sweetie." Jose says as he gets besides me on bed and wraps his arms around me, making me break down in sobs. "Sssh… Sssh…" he repeats as he rubs his hand against my back. "It's ok, dear. Everything will be ok."

"I don't understand!" I say with an exasperated sigh once I stop sobbing. "I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing! Why won't I get pregnant?"

"I don't know, dear, but I'm sure it will happen when it's supposed to happen." Jose says, making me roll my eyes at him. "You have one last try before you need to let your body rest, who says that one won't work?"

"Why would it? It's obvious my body doesn't want to cooperate! Why would it now?" I say and throw myself back on bed before I cover my eyes with my arm.

"You can't think like that, hun." Jose says as I feel the mattress dip, indicating that he's now lying beside me. "I'm sure it'll eventually happen."

I let out another sigh, then I rub my face with my hands before I turn to my side and look at him.

"What phone call did you receive today?" I ask, deciding to drop the subject for now. I just don't want to think about this now.

Jose's face splits in a huge grin, and I can't help but smile at his obvious happiness.

"I received a call from GEH." He says, making me look at him in confusion. "Grey Enterprises Holdings!" He explains and my eyes grow huge as I sit up in bed.

"And?" I ask when he doesn't explain further.

"They want me to do a photo-shoot for their PR department! They're doing this new outreach program, and they want to have more visibility on their website. They want me to take pictures of their offices and employees to put up on the website and use for their promotional material."

"Oh My God!" I say and jump on my knees to sit in front of him. "Oh My God, Jose! This is huge! This could be the break you've been waiting for!"

"I know!" Jose says and jumps on his knees as well. "I can't believe it's really happening! Ethan hasn't stopped talking about it since I got the phone call. I think he's more excited about it than I am!"

"OH MY GOD!" I squeal as the reality of it begins to sink in. Jose works as an assistant editor at the publishing house where I work as an editor, but his real passion lays in photography. He's had a couple of galleries back when we first graduated, but it never went anywhere further than that. He's been depressed about it, but then he met Ethan, who helped him get over it for the time being, but kept supporting him whenever an opportunity came to show his skills.

Jose was hired as a photographer for different occasions, weddings, birthday parties, proms, engagement parties, baby showers… you name it, he's done it. He was once even hired to take photos during a funeral, which was the weirdest experience he's had so far. His latest photography job was for a charity event held by the Grey Organization for Charitable Work, and it seems like he did such a great job that GEH is hiring him for their new PR campaign.

I wrap my arms around Jose in a strong hug, trying to show him my support and happiness in that simple move, but I pull away when I feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He digs his phone out, and his eyes grow wide at the number displayed on the screen.

"It's them!" He says as he stares blankly at the phone.

"Pick up!" I scream, which seems to pull him out of his trance, making him hold the phone against his ear.

"Hello?" He asks into the phone, and I smile as I watch him switch into the professional he is. "Yes… yes… today?" he asks, his eyes growing again. "Of course… yes, of course… I'll be there on time… Yes… Yes… I'll have two more people with me… Yes… I'll email you their names now… Yes… Thank you." He finally says and hangs up, then looks at me with wide eyes.

"What's going on?" I ask, a bit worried by his shocked expression.

"They want me to go in today and do the first shoot." He says, his eyes still wide.

"That's great, isn't it?" I ask, still worried by his expression.

"It's for the owner and CEO." He says, and my eyes widen in turn.

"Christian Grey?" I ask, not believing what he was saying.

"Yes."

"Holy shit, Jose!"

"I know!" he screams, obviously getting nervous. "I'm going to do a photo-shoot for Christian Grey! Oh my God, I think I'm going to hyperventilate!"

"Hey, hey. Look at me." I say and hold his head between my hands, forcing him to look at me. "You're great at what you do; you're going to be amazing. There's no need to be nervous. You're the best there is, they wouldn't have hired you if they thought otherwise."

"You know his reputation, the man is ruthless! What if I mess up? What if I do something that gets me blacklisted?"

"You won't!" I say and stare right into his eyes, the way I always do whenever he's nervous about anything, and I see him begin to relax as his minds stops going on overdrive. I see him take a deep breath, then nod, before he jumps to his feet.

"Get dressed, you're coming with me." He says as he runs his fingers through his hair, and I only nod as I get off the bed and walk towards my closet.

Sometimes I step in as Jose's assistant whenever he needs me to, and I guess today he does.

"We need to be there at noon." He says, and I quickly glance at my bedside clock, finding the time to be 10:30 a.m. "I'll pick you up at 11:30. I need to go get my equipment from Ethan's place and get him."

"I'll be ready." I say giving him an encouraging smile. Suddenly, he marches across the room and wraps his arms around me in a strong hug.

"Thank you, Ana." He whispers against my neck. "I wouldn't have been able to get here without your support."

"You're my person, Jose." I say as I wrap my arms around him in return. "It's my job. Now go. We can't be late for your biggest job!"

* * *

It's 12:15 p.m., and we're setting up at one of the conferences rooms at the GEH building. When we first arrived, I stood frozen in front of the huge building for a good 2 minutes, just staring up at it. The inside wasn't any less impressive, and I could literally feel the professional atmosphere bouncing off the walls of the front lobby.

Everyone was dressed professionally, making me glad I wore one of my business skirt-suits. Ethan is setting up the lighting as I go over a brief summary of the PR campaign GEH wants to implement, so that I know what kind of photos and setting we need. Jose is snapping pictures of Ethan and myself; his own way of calming down before any big job.

"Mr. Grey should be here in 5 minutes." Andrea, who is Mr. Grey's assistant, says from her place by the door. She met us down at the lobby and brought us up here to this conference room. I look out the window, and can't help but admire the view. We're all the way up at the 20th floor, and the view overlooking Seattle is simply breath taking.

 _It must be so inspiring to work with this view every day._

"Thank you, Ms. Carey." I say and look back at the papers in my hands.

Exactly 5 minutes later, I hear the door open, and I can literally feel some sort of an electric current charge the air around me. I feel the hairs at the back of my neck stand, and when I look towards the door, I can't help but let out a small gasp of admiration at what I see.

I've seen pictures of Christian Grey, but I can honestly say that pictures do not do him justice one bit. The man is a living Adonis. He's at least 6"2 tall, and I can actually identify his muscles under the white shirt he's wearing underneath his grey suit. His copper hair is unruly, and I find myself wishing I could run my fingers through it to tame it down.

 _Whoa, Steele! Where did that come from?_

"Mr. Grey, this is Jose Rodriguez." I hear Andrea say, snapping me away from my blatant gawking of the God in front of me, and I realize that he's looking at me with a small smirk on his face.

 _Shit! I've been caught!_

"Mr. Grey, it's a pleasure to meet you." Jose says as he walks towards Mr. Grey, making Mr. Grey look away from me to Jose.

"Mr. Rodriguez." Mr. Grey says with a polite nod. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, and on a Sunday nonetheless, but I have business out of town tomorrow, and I would like to get the ball rolling on the new PR campaign."

"Of course, Mr. Grey." Jose says as he motions for Ethan and me to come forward. "This is Ethan Kavanaugh, my lighting technician, and this is Anastasia Steele, my assistant."

"Kavanaugh?" Mr. Grey asks as he shakes Ethan's hand. "Any relation to Katherine Kavanaugh?"

I involuntarily let out a groan at hearing the name, and I see Ethan's body visibly tense at hearing his estranged sister's name.

"I apologize." Mr. Grey says before any of us has the chance to answer his question, obviously having noticed our reaction. "Ms. Steele." He then says and turns to look at me again, making me take a step forwards.

And just because life just doesn't want to give me a break today, I stumble over one of the light cables, and dive hands first to the floor.

"Ana!" I hear Jose gasp as he run towards me, but before he can reach me, I feel Mr. Grey's strong hand wrap around my arms, and he picks me up as if I weigh nothing.

"Are you ok, Ms. Steele?" He asks and looks me over with his eyes.

"Yes, I'm just being my usual clumsy self." I say, my face burning with the deep blush now adorning it. "I apologize for making a fool of myself."

"No apology needed, Ms. Steele." He says, and I see a hint of humor dancing around in his eyes, making me blush deeper. "Where do you need me, Mr. Rodriguez?"

"Right here, Mr. Grey." Jose says as he gives me a knowing look, making me shoot him a deadly glare in return.

For the next 20 minutes, we work with Mr. Grey on different positions, and Jose ends up taking way too many pictures than originally needed. I tried to busy myself with different things during the shoot, trying to avoid Mr. Grey's blatant staring. His eyes never left me unless he was looking straight at the camera, and for one reason or another, I actually found it comical.

 _Christian freaking Grey was checking me out!_

"I would appreciate it if you would send me all photos taken today so that my PR department would choose from them." Mr. Grey said as he buttoned his jacket. "I'll have Andrea give you her contact information to work together accordingly."

"Of course, Mr. Grey." Jose says. I can tell that he wants to grin that the shoot ended on a successful note, but he keeps his professional mask on.

"Ms. Steele, may I have a word please?" Mr. Grey suddenly asks, making me look at him with surprise. From behind him, I see Jose and Ethan nodding at me enthusiastically, and once Mr. Grey realizes that I'm looking at the two clowns standing behind him, he turns around, just in time to catch them still nodding at me. "Your colleagues seem encouraging enough, Ms. Steele. May I suggest you take their advice?"

"Uh… Sure." I say as I smooth the front of my suit and take a step forward, but not before making sure that nothing is in my way.

 _I don't need to embarrass myself twice!_

"Andrea, Ms. Steele and I will be in my office." Mr. Grey says as he places his hand on the small of my back, sending shivers up and down my spine, and leads me out of the conference room.

"Excuse me, Mr. Grey." I say before we are out of the room, making him stop and look down at me. "How long will we be? I arrived here with Jose and Ethan, and they're my ride back home."

"Don't worry about that Ms. Steele." Mr. Grey says as he smiles at me, making my inside clench. "I'll make sure you get home safely."

"We can wait for you downstairs if you want, Ana." I hear Jose say, and I give him a grateful look, but I feel Mr. Grey's hand tense against my back.

"I think I'm safe enough with Mr. Grey. Right?" I say, now looking up at him, making him smile again.

"Of course." Mr. Grey says, not taking his eyes away from mine, and I feel myself internally swoon.

"I'll wait for you at home, Ana." I hear Jose call back as we leave the conference room, and again I feel Mr. Grey's hand tense against my back.

"Do you live with him?" Mr. Grey asks as soon as the door of the conference room closes behind us, and I softly shake my head.

"No, but he has a key." I say, and I realize that my lack of explanation is only going to push his buttons further.

 _This is fun!_

"I see." He says as he leads me down the hallway towards his office. Once we step inside, a soft gasp leaves my lips at the floor-to-ceiling windows behind his desk, giving an open skyline view of Seattle.

"This is beautiful." I say before I realize that the words have left my mouth.

"It is." Mr. Grey says as I see him move towards his desk. "Would you like something to drink, Ms. Steele?"

"A cup of tea would be nice." I say, making him press on the intercom on his desk.

"Olivia, bring me a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for Ms. Steele." He says and hangs up without even a thank you or please.

"That was a bit rude."

"How so?" He asks with a raised eyebrow, but a hint of a smirk is tugging at the corner of his lips.

"There are magic words in the English vocabulary, Mr. Grey, and they have the magic ability to get you anywhere." I say as I step further into his office. "They're called _please_ and _thank you_."

"I see." Mr. Grey says as he moves around his desk and sits on one of the couches. "Have a seat, _please_." He says with a small smirk, making me immediately sit on the couch across of him.

"You learn fast." I remark, earning a hearty laugh from him.

"Indeed, I do." He says, and for a good minute, he doesn't say anything, but simply looks at me.

"Did you bring me here to just look at me, Mr. Grey?" I ask as I play with the hem of my skirt. I suddenly feel uncharacteristically shy, but I decide not to let him know just yet. "If so, I could've just sent you a photo with the rest of the pictures Jose will be sending."

"Beautiful, and witty." Mr. Grey says, making me blush as I look up at him. "Tell me. Ms. Steel, is he your boyfriend?"

"Who?" I ask, genuinely confused by his question.

"The photographer." Mr. Grey says in a clipped tone. I can't help but giggle, making his eyes light up and smile.

"That's a beautiful sound, Ms. Steele, but it is not an answer to my question."

"Thank you for the complement, Mr. Grey, and no, Jose is not my boyfriend, and neither is Ethan, if you're wondering." I say and sit back more comfortably on the couch before I cross my legs, making my skirt hike up a bit, but not indecently so.

"But he has access to your residence." Mr. Grey states rather than asks, and I let out another giggle.

"Yes he does." I state back, still not giving an easy explanation.

 _Sweat it out, Grey._

"You're going to make me work for it, aren't you, Ms. Steele?" He asks, his tone and eyes filled with amusement.

"Should I not?"

"By all means, be my guest." He says and sits back in his seat as well, before he crosses his legs too, resting his ankle on his knee. "Would you so kindly tell me why Mr. Rodrigues has access to your residence?"

"He's my best friend." I say with a small shrug.

"I see." He says with a small nod. "Do you have a boyfriend, Ms. Steele?" he then asks, making me raise an eyebrow at him.

"That's rather personal, Mr. Grey." I say, making him shrug at me, but before he can say anymore, the door to his office opens, and in walks a beautiful blonde holding a tray with our drinks. She places Mr. Grey's coffee in front of him, and I roll my eyes at the way she bats her eyelashes at him. I notice that her shirt has an extra button undone, showing more cleavage than professionally appropriate, and I can't help but smirk at the way Mr. Grey doesn't even notice it but leaves his eyes fixed on me. When she realizes that he's not paying her any attention, she huffs and places my cup of tea in front of me, forcefully enough to have it spill a bit, but before Mr. Grey can protest, I raise my hand at him, silently telling him that it's ok. The girl, who I can only assume is Olivia, then turns around and literally stomps out of the office.

"I take it back." I say as I place a tissue under the cup of tea.

"Take what back?" He asks, a hint of annoyance to his tone.

"You weren't rude when you were talking to her earlier." I say and smile up at him. "You were extra polite as a matter of fact."

The laugh that he lets out at my words makes me grin at him, and for the first time in my life, I actually feel my heart skip a beat because I have managed to elicit a reaction as natural as that from a man.

 _And not just any man. Christian freaking Grey!_

"Oh, Ms. Steele, you're like a breath of fresh air to my otherwise stale life." He says once he stops laughing. "I apologize for Olivia's behavior, but she's only started here last week. I hired her as a favor to her father, and somehow she believes I'm going to be her one way ticket to a happily ever after fairytale."

"Every girl has a dream, Mr. Grey."

"I fully understand and respect that, but the office is not a place to try to make those dreams come true, unless those dreams are of a professional nature, in regards to one's career."

"Handsome and wise." I say, throwing his words back at him, making him laugh again.

"You still haven't answered my question, Ms. Steele."

I raise a confused eyebrow at him, pretending not to know what he's talking about, making him put his foot down and rest his elbows on his knees.

"Your boyfriend, Ms. Steele." He states, and I realize that I should make things easier for him.

 _But not too easy._

"I don't have a boyfriend, Mr. Grey." I say and take a small sip of my tea, wincing at how strong it is. "But I can't help but wonder, why do you ask?"

"Is your tea ok?" he asks, obviously having noticed my reaction.

"Too strong for my taste." I quickly answer, and give him a pointed look, silently asking him to answer my question.

"Would you like me to ask Olivia to get you another one?"

"And risk having her spit in it? No thank you." I say with a small smile.

"Fair point well made, Ms. Steele." He says and relaxes back in his seat. "And I asked about a boyfriend because I wanted to know if I had any competition." He states, and I inwardly admire his honesty.

"Competition?"

"For your affections, of course." He says and throws a wink at me, making me blush.

"What if I did have a boyfriend?"

"Then I would've gone an extra mile, or ten, to make you mine." He says, and I actually feel my eyes go wide at his admission.

 _Arrogant much?_

"You don't know me."

"True, but I do know that I want to make you mine, and I know you're attracted to me. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here now."

 _Definitely arrogant, but damn sexy at it!_

"What if I'm here out of mere curiosity?"

"You're not." He states, and I can't control the laugh that leaves my lips. "Trust me, Ms. Steele. I know people, and I know how to read them and their body language. I wouldn't be where I am today otherwise."

"Fair point well made, Mr. Grey." I say and take another sip of my tea. Deciding that it's too strong for me to actually enjoy it, I put the cup down then look back at Mr. Grey. "Do you have a girlfriend, Mr. Grey?" I ask, but judging by the stoned look that suddenly decorates his face, I can tell that I asked a very wrong question.

"I'm a respected man, Ms. Steele, and I act accordingly in my professional and personal life. Believe me when I tell you, you would not be here if I did. No woman, no matter how obnoxious or annoying she is, deserves to be disrespected by being cheated on. If I did have a girlfriend, I wouldn't be looking at another women to start with. Furthermore, if I was a part of an unhappy relationship, I would make sure to break it up before I perused someone else."

"Wow." I say and I feel my admiration towards him increase.

 _Such a gentleman._

"I apologize if I have offended you in any way, Mr. Grey, but my question stems from a personal experience that I would like to avoid happening again at all costs."

"Boyfriend cheated on you?" He asks, quickly catching on.

"I'd rather not talk about it, if that is ok with you."

"Of course."

 _Really quickly catching on._

"Tell me about you, Ms. Steele." He says and sips on his coffee. "Like you stated earlier, I don't know you, but I would like to change that. Do you enjoy your job?"

"Yes, I love editing. Books are my passion, and I can simply drown between the pages of a good book." I say before realizing that he doesn't know that I only step-in as an assistant to Jose when needed.

"Editing?" he asks, his tone laced with confusion.

"I only step-in to help Jose when he needs me. He and I work at Seattle Independent Publishing, or SIP. I'm an editor and he's an assistant editor." I explain, and I see him nod in understanding. "I have a degree in English Literature, and it has always been my dream to work in publishing and editing."

"Beautiful, witty, and ambitious." Mr. Grey says with a small that I can literally feel affecting my ovaries. "How long have you been in editing?"

"I started out as an intern at SIP right out of college; that was 4 years ago."

"Impressive." He says and takes another sip of his coffee. "You've come a long way in 4 years. Must be really dedicated to your work."

"My life is very simple, Mr. Grey. Not much to distract me. Besides, I know what I want, and I always work hard to get it."

"Do you always get it?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at me. "What you want, I mean."

My smile falls as I remember the pregnancy test I took this morning, then my heart sinks as I realize that I really shouldn't be here, having this kind of conversation with him if I want to keep working on my dream of having a family on my own.

"Not really. Sometimes things are out of my control."

I take a deep breath, and right then, I decide that I really shouldn't take things further than this with Mr. Grey. I want to get pregnant, and have a family, and as much as I am attracted to Mr. Grey, I will my heart not to believe for one second that he could be different from all the other men out there.

 _Except Ray._

 _And Jose._

 _And Ethan._

 _Damn it!_

"Is everything ok, Ms. Steele?" he asks, and I realize that I've been quiet for a while.

"Yes, Mr. Grey. Nothing to worry yourself about." I say and move to stand up. "I should head out now. I have a few things planned for the remaining of the weekend, and I'm sure you have to prepare for your business out of town tomorrow."

"Of course." He says and stands up as well. I see his eyebrows knitted in a small frown, no doubt confused by my sudden change in behavior. He moves around his desk and grabs his cellphone and a set of keys.

We make our way out of the office silently, and I can't help but snicker at the evil look Olivia shoots me from behind her desk. Andrea obviously notices her because she calls Olivia's name under her breath that forces Olivia to look at her. As we reach the door, I realize that there's a man standing there waiting for us. He stands tall, almost as tall as Mr. Grey, and he has a buzz cut, and I immediately realize that he must be ex-military of some sort.

 _I miss Ray._

"I'm driving Ms. Steele home, Taylor." Mr. Grey tells the man, who I can only assume is his bodyguard. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Of course, Mr. Grey." The man, Taylor, nods, before he walks away then disappears behind a door down the hallway.

"Military?" I ask as I step into the elevator, closely followed by Mr. Grey.

"Marines, actually. How could you tell?" Mr. Grey asks with a hint of surprise to his voice.

"My father is ex-military. I could identify the stance." I say as the elevator doors close, and as the last inch of space between the two doors disappears, the air suddenly becomes so charged that I have a hard time breathing.

I chance a look at Mr. Grey, and I'm shocked to find his eyes closed, as he too is obviously having a hard time breathing. Suddenly, his eyes snap open, and he looks at me with a look that I can only identify as intense.

Before I can even try to say anything, I feel myself pushed against the wall of the elevator, with my arms held above my head by Mr. Greys hands, and my hip pinned with his. As I try to voice my shock, I feel his lips smash against mine, and for the life of me, I can't even bring myself to pretend to protest.

 _So much for making him work for it!_

His lips move expertly against mine, making a small whimper leave my lungs. I can't stop myself from kissing him back, and when I feel the tip of his tongue brush against my lower lip, silently seeking entrance, I can't help but grant it.

His tongue battles against mine for dominance, and I can feel my panties getting more moist with each stroke of his tongue and lips. He's such a good kisser that I feel my knees getting weak, and I as I try to hold myself up against him, a gasp leaves my mouth at the rather large bulge I feel against my thigh, allowing him to kiss me even deeper.

"Wow." I manage to whisper once he pulls away from me, both of us panting for air.

"Wow, indeed, Ms. Steele."

"I think what just happens has put us on first name basis, don't you think, Christian?" I ask, calling him by his first name for the first time, and I actually enjoy the way it rolls off my tongue.

"Again, fair point well made, Anastasia." He says as he brushes his hand against my cheek, and I automatically lean into his hand.

 _Damn it! Why does he have to be so attractive?_

The ping of the elevator forces us to step away from each other, and we silently walk out of it into the underground parking lot and towards his car.

"Impressive, Grey." I say as I look at his car. It's an Audi Spyder R8, and judging by the smile on his face at what I say, I can tell that he's proud of his baby.

 _Boys and their toys!_

"Why thank you, Steele." He says with a wink as he opens the passenger's door for me. I try to slip in as gracefully as I can, given what I'm wearing, but I eventually manage to without embarrassing myself too much.

"I'm liking this car more and more." He says as he climbs behind the steering wheel and looks at me as I try to pull my skirt down after it had risen with my trying to get in the car with as much dignity as I could muster.

"Of course you are." I say with a roll of my eyes.

"Where to, Anastasia?"

"It's Ana." I say as he drives out of the parking lot and into the Seattle afternoon traffic. "Only my father calls me Anastasia, and that's when I'm in trouble."

"But you have such a beautiful name." He says as he reaches to hold my hand.

"Thank you, but I would still like you to call me Ana, instead of Anastasia." I say, not wanting to delve more on the details of how my full name reminds me of my mother.

"Well, Ana, where to?" he asks before he raises his hand to his lips and places a soft against my knuckles, making me let out a small sigh.

I give him my address, and the rest of the ride is spent in comfortable silence. He doesn't let go of my hand during the entire ride, and I'm shocked to find myself actually enjoying it.

 _It always annoyed me when the asshole wanted to hold my hand while he drove!_

I force myself not to think about my whole family plan on the way home, but just simply wanting to enjoy Christian's company while it lasts.

It's obvious that we're attracted to each other, if the kiss we shared is anything to go by, but I know for a fact that things between us will not go beyond that.

No matter how attracted to him I am, and no matter how much of a gentleman he seems to be, this will not change the way I look at love and relationships. I know for a fact that my father is the most gentlemanly person out there, but that didn't mean that my mother didn't fall out of love with him. It's not enough to keep a relationship alive.

I don't think anything is enough to keep a relationship going.

"How do you know Kathrine Kavanaugh?" I ask, trying to get my mind away from the negative thoughts.

"The wicked-witch of the West Coast?" Christian asks, and I can't control the booming laugh that leaves my lungs. "My brother is dating her."

"Oh my God!" I gasp once I stop laughing. "That is the best description I've ever heard about her!"

"How do you know her?" Christian asks with a smile of his own.

"She's Ethan's sister." I say with a soft sigh.

"Oh." Christian says, and I actually see the moment he realizes what I mean. "Oooh! So Ethan and Jose?"

"Yes." I say, and I realize that he knows why Ethan and Kathrine are no longer on speaking terms. "How did you know?"

"She always makes sure to mention Ethan when there are family gatherings." He says, but he doesn't elaborate more. I don't risk asking, because I can imagine just how colorful the things Kathrine says about her brother are.

"She and I used to be close friends." I say, and the shocked look on Christian is so comical I can't help but laugh again.

"How the fuck is that possible? You're so nice, and beautiful on the inside and out, and she's just so… so… evil!"

"She showed her true colors when Ethan came out, but that's not my story to tell." I say and look outside the window, remembering the shock we all had when we realized just how dark her soul really was.

To put it simply, she's so closed minded and homophobic that she didn't think twice about abandoning her only brother when he came out.

And apparently, she's been spewing her hatred wherever she goes.

"Not that it would matter any, but I hate her guts." Christian says, making me giggle. "I don't understand how my brother is dating her, but to each their own, I guess. I just hope he doesn't decide on making her a permanent fixture of our family."

"I hope so too, for his sake." I say as Christian pulls over in front of my building.

"We're here." He says, and I nod, hating that our time has come to an end.

 _At least I got to enjoy a couple of hours with him. Not to mention his kiss._

 _Oh my god, that kiss._

As if he was reading my mind, I feel his hand sneak on the back of my neck, and he pulls me towards him before his lips meet mine in a sensual kiss. This time, his kiss is so slow and full of passion and promise, that I feel tears stinging the back of my eyes.

"Have dinner with me."

"I can't." I breathe against his lips as he rests his forehead against mine.

"Then lunch." He says, and I let out a small giggle at his insistence.

"Christian, I really like you, and it's obvious that I'm as attracted to you as you are to me, but I don't think we should do this."

"Why not?" he asks as he pulls away from me with a frown on his face.

"I'm just not at a point in my life where I'm looking for something serious."

"I see." Christian says as he takes a deep breath. I notice that he doesn't deny wanting anything serious, and that only makes me more adamant about my decision. As I reach for the door handle, I hear him asking me to wait, and when I turn to look at him, he smashes his lips against mine again.

I can't stop myself from giving in to his kiss, and I lean towards him even more as he deepens the kiss. This time, his kiss seems desperate and apologetic, and I can't help but run my hands over his arms before I rest them on the strong muscles of his chest. I feel him stiffen for a second, but as he relaxes, his kiss becomes more desperate and passionate.

I pull apart as I feel the need to breathe overcome my desire to keep kissing him, and I feel him slide a card against the hand that is still resting against my thighs.

"This card has my personal number on it. Please think about this, and call me if you change your mind." He says, and I only nod before I quickly leave the car, not wanting to prolong my misery.

As I reach the front door of my building, I turn around just in time to see him drive away, and for some reason, I feel my heart break as his car moves further away from me.

 _What the hell have I done?_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I want to say thank you to all the amazing people who have taken the time to read this story, review it, follow it, and choose it as a favorite. Your support means the world to me. I also want to send a shout-out to all the wonderful ladies at the group FSoG Fanfic Obsessed. I honestly wouldn't have been able to write this if it weren't for your support and encouragement. I also want to do a small shout-out to the amazing Philaenis, if you haven't read her story The Dark Side of Love, then you're missing out on A LOT!**

 **In regards to updating this story, I'm hoping to be able to update once a week. I don't imagine it would be a long story, but I can't predict now how many chapters it will be. Having said that, I'm travelling to Dubai this evening, and won't be coming back until Jan. 1** **st** **. I'm hoping I'll be able to write a bit while there, but I don't imagine I will be able to post any updates until I'm back. So, until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Ana POV**

 **Friday, November 14** **th** **, 2014**

Today is the 5th day post Christian, and I feel the tears sting my eyes once again as I think about him. I don't know if I can actually call it that, a _post Christian phase_. I mean, we only kissed, nothing more.

But God damn it, it was the best kiss I've ever had!

I wanted to call him, and I actually picked the phone and pressed in his number more than once, but then I always locked the phone and threw it in my purse.

I kept telling myself that I had to keep a clear mind, that I need to focus on my dream, my end goal.

I only managed to do that on Monday, simply because I avoided Jose. Luckily, he wasn't at my apartment after Christian dropped me off, but he did corner me at the office the following morning. I did, however hold my stand and kept on my brave façade.

That only lasted until dinner Monday night, where I broke down in Jose's arms, crying that I had ruined a great opportunity. Once I calmed down, I blamed my tears on hormones, and went back to insisting that I'm better off without him.

That _he's_ better off without me!

For all I know, I could be just like my mother, never finding the desire to settle down, or never able to stay in love with any man I get involved with. He doesn't need that. He's such a great guy that he deserves someone to worship the ground he walks on.

 _You could've been that someone, you idiot!_

I roll my eyes at the inner voice screaming in my head, and decide to put on a pair of skinny jeans and a pink dress shirt for casual Friday at the office. I slip into a pair of pink flats, but put my silver sky-highs in a bag, since Jose has insisted on us going out to celebrate his hit with GEH.

During lunch on Tuesday, Jose casually mentioned that he was now sending photos directly to Christian. Meaning, he's contacting him personally on almost daily basis. I think it was his not-to-subtle way to get me to ask him about Christian, or if Christian had asked about me.

I only nodded at him as I got tears in my eyes, and excused myself back to my office, barely having eaten any of my lunch.

I look at the calendar hanging at the fridge door, and I let out a sigh. Only 12 days left before my last attempt at IUI. If it doesn't work this time, I have to stop for a couple of months to allow my body to rest, then I'll start again.

 _Or maybe I won't._

A shocked gasp leave my mouth at the stray thought I had, and I shake my head to rid myself of it. I can't believe I even let myself think that! This is what happens when I even think about letting a man in! I don't want to imagine what would've happened if I agreed to go out with him!

I keep scolding myself all the way to my car and even to work. By the time I reach my office, I'm dead set on my plan, and that I had done the right thing by rejecting Christian.

The rest of the day goes in a blur as I'm drowning in manuscripts. By the time I actually manage to lift my head up from all the work I've done, I realize that the time is approaching 7 p.m., making me reach for my phone and in result wince at all the missed calls I have from Jose.

Apparently, I had forgotten to turn on the ringer on my phone!

He had taken the day off to finish some work on the GEH new outreach campaign, which worked in my favor because he wasn't here to keep bugging me about our night out.

As I call him back, I contemplate on how I can avoid going out tonight. After such a long day, I just want to go home and relax in the tub with a glass wine.

I stopped drinking when I began with the IUI procedure, and went on a strict healthy diet trying to get pregnant, but the last negative pregnancy test I got 5 days ago proved that everything I had done is for nothing, so I decided to just go with the flow this time around. That's not to say that I've been drinking heavily since, I'm just not avoiding it as hard as I did these past 2 months.

"Where the hell are you, Steele?" I hear Jose's voice from the other end of the line.

"I'm still at the office. I lost track of time."

"Well, get your ass down here! We're waiting for you."

"Listen, about that…" I begin as I start to gather my things.

"Don't even think about it, Anastasia!" Jose says sternly, and I actually pause at his tone. "We are celebrating tonight. Besides, you've been in a bad mood since Sunday, and it's about time to loosen up a bit!"

"But…"

"No freaking buts! If you're not here within 20 minutes I'm coming to your place to drag you by your hair. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir!" I say and can't help but giggle.

Although he's never been part of the military, Jose sure knows how to act like his dad sometimes.

I hang up with a smile on my face as I tidy up my desk. Jose has the magical ability to make me smile no matter what I am going through. Sometimes I wonder if we would have ended up together if he weren't gay.

Exactly 18 minutes after my call with Jose, I make my way through Fifty's Pub and to our usual table. It's a small bar that we discovered almost 2 years ago, and we have been usual customers since then. I hear my phone chime, indicating an incoming text message, and I pull it out of my purse as I walk to where I know Jose and Ethan are. I smile as I read the text from my Dad, and I only look up from my phone when I hear Jose say, "There she is!"

I'm frozen in my spot as I look around the table, and find a pair of piercing grey eyes looking straight at me.

"Uh… What's going on here?" I ask, shooting Jose a deadly look.

"We're celebrating Jose's great work." Christian says as he sips on his drink, which by the look of it I'm assuming is a scotch neat. "He mentioned that you guys will be coming here for drinks, and I asked if I could join."

"Aha." I say, raising a skeptical eyebrow at him. "Jose, can I have a word, please?" I ask and grab his arm, dragging him away before he could have the chance to protest. "What the fuck, Jose! What is he doing here?"

"I called Ethan after my meeting with him today, and he overheard me talking about tonight. He asked if he could join, and it's not like I could tell him no!"

"Well, you could have told me that he was here. I wouldn't have come if I had known!" I whisper-yell at him. "You know how I feel about this whole thing! I can't believe you did this!"

"Well you need to get your head out of your ass and realize what you are doing to yourself!" Jose snaps at me. "For the millionth time, Ana, you are not Carla, and not every man is like _the asshole_. Not every marriage is doomed to fail. People fall out of love, that's true, but that is not always the case. It's all about finding the right person. Look at Ethan and me; look at my parents! You really should stop thinking so negatively about love."

I look at the table, and I realize that Christian is looking at us with sad eyes. Before I begin to comprehend what is going on, I see him say something to Ethan before standing up and heading towards the door.

"Where did he go?" I ask Ethan as I quickly walk back to the table.

"He said that it's obvious he's not welcomed here, so he decided to leave." Ethan says, shooting me a deadly look. "I really don't understand what you're doing, Ana, but that man is obviously smitten with you. You won't lose anything if you give him a chance."

I look at Ethan then back towards Christian, and in a split second, I make the decision to follow him, noticing that Ethan and Jose look back at me with beaming smiles.

"Christian, wait!" I call just as he steps out of the pub. "Please, I'm sorry. Wait."

I see him freeze in his spot, but he doesn't turn around to look at me.

"I'm sorry I bothered you, Ana. I'll just head out. No worries." He says once I'm standing in front of him, but he's not looking at me. He's looking everywhere but me.

"I'm the one who's sorry, Christian." I say, and before I can control myself, I reach out to hold his hand, making his head snap in my direction, and feeling something like a spark once our hands touch. "Come back and join us. We wouldn't be celebrating if it weren't for you anyway."

"I don't want to bother you." He says as he looks down at our joined hands. "I should respect your wishes, Ana, but quite frankly, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since Sunday."

"Oh." I say, shocked by his admission. I'm as confident as they come, but I still can't wrap my head around the fact that this Adonis of a man is interested in me! I know that I'm beautiful, but there are far more beautiful women out there.

Why me?

"Why not you?" He asks, and I realize that I've actually voiced my question. I blush crimson at him but can't help but squeeze his hand gently. "Give me a chance, Ana. We'll take this at your pace, however slow you want it to be."

I internally swoon at his words.

 _He really is a true gentleman!_

"So?" He asks, and I realize that he's still waiting for my response.

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about me Christian." I say with a small frown, and I'm surprised as he holds his hand against my forehead and gently runs his finger against my brow.

"Don't frown. You're too beautiful to mar your face with a frown." He says, and again I blush at his words. "And yes, you're right. There are a lot of things that I don't know about you, just like there are a lot of things that you don't know about me. But I would like to change that, and I can't do that if you don't give me a chance. So, what do you say?"

I look at him for a long minute, and the amount of emotions I see in his eyes throw me for a loop. I can identify hope, promise, and finally resignation, and I find myself unable to reject him.

My heart actually hurts at the thought.

"We take this one day at a time, ok Grey?" I ask, and the smile that adorns his lips at my words could actually light up a room.

"I promise, you won't regret this." He says before he holds my hand up to his lips and places a soft kiss on my knuckles.

"Let's get back before Jose sends out a search party for us." I say as I try to tame down my blush. He doesn't let go of my hand as we walk back into the pub, and once Jose and Ethan see our joined hands, they slap each other a high-five and grin at us.

"It's about freaking time!" Jose says as he pulls me into a hug while I'm still holding Christian's hand, and I feel him squeeze it a little harder.

 _Oh, I've a got a jealous one!_

"Please don't let your mind get the better of you, Ana." I hear Jose whisper in my ear, loud enough for only me to hear. "He seems like a great guy."

"I'll try." I whisper back before I unwrap my one arm from around Jose and turn to look at Christian, only to find him looking impassively at me.

"Christian, do I need to remind you that Jose and Ethan are together?" I ask, and I actually feel his hand relax against mine, almost like he forgot that small fact. "Are we going to have a problem with me having male friends? Because if we do, we might as well end things right here and now." I say, my tone dead serious.

Jealousy can be attractive, but not crazy jealousy! That, I will never tolerate.

"I'm sorry." Christian says as he takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair. "I'll work on it."

"Good." I say as I try to get up on the stool in front of me. I hate those things! They are never easy to get on for someone of my height, even when I'm wearing 5 inch heels.

"Need help?" Christian whispers against my ear after my 6th failed attempt to get up on the stool, and I only let out a frustrated sigh. I look at Jose and Ethan, and find them looking back at me with a comical look on their faces, and it's obvious that they are trying hard not to laugh.

"Screw you, guys!" I snap jokingly at them, then I feel Christian's strong hands hold my waist before he lifts me up effortlessly and places me gently on the stool.

"Wow." I breathe at how strong he is, and I see Jose fanning himself while Ethan was just smiling softly at us. "Someone's got strong arm muscles."

"No, someone's very light." Christian says as he twirls the end of my hair around his finger. "You're too thin. You need to eat more."

"Please, oh please talk to her about that!" Jose says, now suddenly serious. "She doesn't eat enough!"

"Can we not talk about this now?" I ask as I reach for Jose's beer and take a long sip. "We're here to celebrate your success, Jose, not discuss my health."

I give Jose a pointed look, silently asking him to drop the subject. I don't want to go into the details of my diet, because it would lead to information that I am not ready to discuss with Christian yet.

"Yes! Let me get you a drink, and then we'll toast to Jose and his great work." Ethan says, and smile at him thankfully.

"What do you want, baby?" Christian asks, and I can't help but smile at his term of endearment.

"I'll have a glass of white wine, please." I say, and before I even attempt to reach for my purse, I see him walk towards the bar, closely followed by Ethan.

"Are you going to tell him?" Jose asks, and I roll my eyes at him.

"Really, Jose?" I ask and lightly punch him on the shoulder. "I just agreed to date him! I'm not going to go into the details of what I want to do with my life yet. Things might not work out between us, and there's no need for him to know the exact details of what I'm doing."

"I'm not talking about that, although you do need to tell him that." Jose says as he sips on his beer. "I'm talking about your fear of commitment."

"I do not have a fear of commitment!" I say, my tone full of resentment. "I just don't believe in it."

"Label it whatever you want to, but you need to tell him that. It's not fair to him to invest in a relationship if you're not going to get serious with him."

"We haven't even gone on a date, Jose! Calm the hell down!" I snap. "I told him that I want to take this one day at a time, and that is exactly what I will do."

"Fine!" Jose snaps back just as Ethan and Christian come back to the table.

"Here you go, baby." Christian says as he places a chilled glass of white wine in front of me before he wraps his arm around my waist.

"Thank you." I say and notice Ethan placing shots in front of us. Once we all have our shots in our hands, I look at Jose with a sincere smile on my face.

"To Jose, and his amazing photography. You are the best, my dear, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"To Jose." Christian and Ethan echo before we all down our shots.

For the remaining hour, the four of us engage in light banter and jokes. Jose does not hesitate to share embarrassing stories from our youth, and at one point, Christian actually has to hold his sides from laughing too much.

Christian also shares stories from his youth, about Elliot, his brother, and him pranking their sister Mia, which almost always resulted in them grounded.

"It was so worth it." He says as he smiles fondly at the memory.

"Shit!" I suddenly hear Jose swear, and I look up at him in alarm, but once I turn to look at who he's looking at, I can't help but swear as well.

"Fuck!"

"Hey bro!" I hear, making Christian look towards the direction of the voice, and he too swears under his breath.

"Elliot, what are you doing here?" Christian asks as the guy, who I can only assume is Elliot, walks towards us with his arm wrapped around no other than Kate.

"Well, if it's not the fairy and his fag." Kate spits out at Ethan, making us all tense.

"Kate!" Elliot gasps and shoots a dirty look at her.

"Well, if it isn't the wicked bitch of the West Coast." I shoot back, making Christian snicker.

"What did you just call me?"

"You heard me!"

"Calm down, baby." Christian says as he places his hand gently against my arm.

"Are you going to introduce us, Christian?" Elliot asks, trying to dissipate the situation a bit.

"Baby, this is my brother Elliot, and you already know Kate." Christian says before he turns at Elliot. "Elliot, this is Ana, and that's Ethan, Kate's brother, and Jose, his boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you guys." Elliot says as he shakes Jose's hand then Ethan's. "And I'm happy to finally meet you, Ana. Christian hasn't stopped talking about you."

 _Queue blush!_

"You better wash that hand before you even think about touching me." Kate says and steps away from Elliot before he has the chance to wrap his arm around her waist again.

"What the fuck, Kate?" Elliot snaps.

"You heard me!" She says and shoots daggers at Jose and Ethan. "They're… they're..."

"They're what?" I ask and I jump off the stool to stand right in her face, and at that moment, I'm so happy I'm used to high heels and that I didn't embarrass myself by falling face-first. "Gay? Homosexual? Comfortable enough with their selves that they don't give a fuck what you or the rest of the world says?"

"I'm not talking to you, bitch. This is between me and my boyfriend."

"Well newsflash hun, your boyfriend is my boyfriend's brother, and your brother happens to be my best friend's boyfriend and a very dear friend of mine, so that does make it my business." I say in one breath, glad that I didn't stumble over my own words.

"Boyfriend?" Elliot asks with a shit-eating grin as he looks between Christian, and me and that's when I realize what I said.

 _Shit! I called him my boyfriend!_

"Yes, do you have a problem with that, Lelliot?" I hear Christian say, and when I look at him I find him looking at me with a shit-eating grin of his own.

"None whatsoever, bro!" Elliot says before he suddenly pulls me in a bear hug and actually lifts me off the floor.

"Put her down, you goof!" Christian laughs over my own laughter.

"Elliot, what are you doing?" Kate screeches and looks at us with horror. "She's a sympathizer."

"You weigh like a feather girl!" Elliot says, basically ignoring Kate and her outburst. "You need to get some food into her, bro."

"Don't start!" I say pointing a finger at Elliot.

"Elliot!" Kate snaps again, making Elliot turn around to face too quickly that I'm surprised that he didn't get a whiplash.

"What?"

"We are leaving right this minute!" She says and literally stomps down her foot. "I will not be seen sitting with _them_."

"No, cupcake. You are leaving, and I'm going to have a drink with my brother and his friends." Elliot says as he steals Ethan's beer and downs it in one gulp, making Kate look at him with so much disgust that I'm worried she's going to throw up right there.

"You did not drink _his_ beer!" Kate screams, and Elliot only raises a questioning eyebrow at her, silently daring her to open her mouth again.

Suddenly I get a light bulb moment, and reach for my glass of wine.

 _I'm so glad I switched to red wine._

I sip gently on my drink, then pretend to stumble over my own feet, making sure I spill my almost full glass over Kate's white Valentino blouse, causing her to let out a shriek so loud that the whole pub goes silent and everyone looks at our direction.

"Oops." I innocently say. "I think you have to go change now, pumpkin."

"You bitch!" Kate screeches and looks back at Elliot, as if she's waiting for him to do something about what just happened.

"Ana's right, babe." Elliot says with a smirk. "I'm sure you don't want to be _seen_ with a dirty shirt."

"Aaarghh!" Kate screams again before she stomps away from us. Once she's out of the pub, we all break down in a fit of laughter.

Well, all except Ethan.

"Are you ok?" I hear Jose ask him, and Ethan silently nods before he downs the rest of Jose's beer.

"I need something stronger." Ethan says, and before he even finishes his sentence, I'm on my way to the bar.

"What the hell just happened?" I hear Christian ask from behind me, and I'm momentarily startled. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No worries." I say and order a round of shots for everyone and a gin neat for Ethan. "And Kate is what happened."

"I've never seen her this evil!" Christian says and I can actually hear the surprise in his voice.

"I actually think she was holding herself back because we're in public." I say and smile as Christian orders me another glass of wine.

"I really don't understand why Elliot won't break up with her sorry ass."

"Maybe you should ask him about that, because sweetie, I don't have an answer to that one." I say and lean against the bar counter as I wait for our order.

"So…" Christian starts as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him. "Boyfriend, huh?"

"I'm really sorry about that!" I say and look at his chest as I play with the hem of his shirt. "I didn't mean to…"

I'm cut off by the feeling of his fingers on my chin as he forces me to look up at him before he places his lips on mine in a soft kiss. He doesn't deepen the kiss, even though I have a feeling that he wants to.

 _I want to, too!_

"I like that you called me your boyfriend." He says as he pulls away.

"But we haven't even gone on a date yet." I say with a soft smile.

"I guess that means that I owe you a date, Ms. Steele." He says and mirrors my smile with one of his own.

"That you do, Mr. Grey."

"Tomorrow?" He asks, his tone hopeful.

"Tomorrow." I answer with a nod, and his smiles widen.

We make our way back to the table, and I'm happy to see that Elliot, Jose, and Ethan are laughing about one thing or another.

"What are you guys laughing about?" I ask as I pass around the shots and place Ethan's gin in front of him.

"Christian!" Elliot gasps between laughs, making me raise a questioning eyebrow at Christian, who only groans at what Elliot said.

"Oh my God, Ana! You have to hear this!" Jose says as he tries to calm himself down.

"No, she doesn't." Christian says as he takes a sip of his drink, obviously knowing just what Elliot is talking about.

"Oh, now I really _have_ to!" I say and look at Elliot expectantly.

"Imagine this, Ana-banana!" Elliot starts, and I snort at his nickname.

 _Very original, Elliot._

"Christian, 15 years old, and he's just discovered my stash of Playboy magazines that I was hiding under my bed. I think I don't have to go into the details of the reaction he had as he started flipping through the pages." Elliot continues, and I chance a look at Christian only to find him blushing. "It was the 4th of July, and my mother always has these huge gatherings. So the house was basically filled with guests, including our friends. One girl, who had this huge crush on Christian and also happened to be the daughter of one of mom's friends, offered to go find him when he took too long to come back to the party. I believe she was 14 at the time. 5 minutes later, she comes back running to her mother in tears, stuttering these exact words: Christian, naked, huge, scary, and penis." Elliot says and I can't stop the laugh that leaves my lips. "Apparently, she had walked in on my dear little brother here jacking off, and it had traumatized her."

"Oh my God!" I gasp between laughs.

"It's not funny!" Christian says with a pout that I find is very sexy.

"It is, baby." I say as wrap one arm around his waist before I rest my hand on his chest. I notice that he tenses for a second, just like he did in his car back on Sunday, but he then relaxes.

I don't have the chance to think about his reaction because I hear Elliot gasp from beside me, and when I look at him, I find his eyes fixed on my hand that is resting against Christian's chest.

"What's wrong?" I ask and move to pull my hand away, but Christian holds it in place. When I look up at him, I see him look at me with eyes full of what I can only describe as amazement. "Christian?"

"I'll explain later." He says softly as he gently squeezes my hand. "One day at a time, right?"

"Right." I say with a nod, but I can't help but let my mind wander to different places.

 _Does he not like to be touched? But he's letting me touch him…_

"I hate to break this up, guys, but we have to be up early tomorrow." Jose says as he looks at his watch. "We're driving up to Montesano, and I need enough rest before the long trip."

"You asshole!" I gasp and punch him in the arm. "Why didn't you tell me that you're going up there?"

"I didn't have the chance!" Jose says as he rubs the spot I just hit. "Mom called me this morning and demanded that Ethan and I go there for the weekend. She wanted me to go today but I told her we're celebrating."

"Tell Daddy I said hi if you see him." I say with a smile at the mention of my father.

"I will." Jose says as he gathers his things. He and Ethan say their goodbyes to Elliot and Christian then make their way out, leaving me alone with the two brothers.

"I guess I should make my way home as well." I say as I reach for my purse. "It was a pleasure meeting you Elliot, although you have a questionable taste in women."

"I'm really sorry about earlier, Ana-banana." Elliot says as he wraps his arms around me. "I'll talk to her."

"Good luck with that." I say and turn to Christian. "Walk me to my car?"

"You're not driving tonight, Ana." Christian says sternly as he pulls out his phone. "You've been drinking."

"I'm good to drive, Christian." I say with a roll of my eyes, even though I know I should just call a cab.

"I realize that you obviously have a high tolerance for alcohol, which is rather surprising for someone your size." He says with a wink, silently telling me that he's teasing. "But I'm not taking the risk."

"Fine. I'll call a cab." I say as I pull my own phone.

"Good luck with _that_!" Elliot says from his chair, throwing my words back at me.

"I'll take you home." Christian says as he holds his phone against his ear. "Taylor, meet us out front."

"Who's Taylor?" I ask Elliot as Christian is still on the phone. I hear him say something about a Ryan and he mentions my car, but I don't pay close attention.

"Taylor is Christian's driver/bodyguard."

"He's my CPO." Christian explains as he puts his phone back in his pocket. "Close protection officer." He further explains when I look at him with confusion.

"So bodyguard." I state with a smile.

"Yes." Christian says and rolls his eyes.

"What about my car?" I ask as the three of us walk out of the bar. I notice a black SUV parked in front of the pub, and I smile at this Taylor's efficiency.

"Ryan will drive it to your place." Christian says just as two men step out of the SUV. I recognize one to be the same man I saw at GEH on Sunday.

"Taylor, Ryan." Christian says as the two men approach us. "This is my girlfriend, Anastasia Steele." He introduces us, and I can't help but notice the way their eyebrows rise in surprise, but it's quickly replaced by their stoic mask.

"Nice to meet you, gentlemen." I say with a small nod, not sure if I should shake their hands or not.

"Ms. Steele." Both of them say with a nod.

"Ryan, I need you to drive Ms. Steele's car to her place." Christian says as he holds his hand, palm open, in front me, and I realize he's waiting for me to give him my keys. I quickly fish them out of my purse and place them in his opened hand.

"Of course, Mr. Grey." Ryan says and takes the keys from Christian. I point him towards my car, and I notice all 4 men do a double take when they see it.

My car is a 2002 convertible beamer, and it was the first car I could afford with my paycheck. It was the first car I personally paid for and I simply love it.

"You drive _that_?" Christian asks with a hint of anger to his voice. "That's not safe!"

"Hey! Don't diss my car, Grey!" I say, but inwardly I know that what he's saying is true. The car is 12 years old, and it was already pre-owned when I bought it 3 years ago. It's not the most reliable there is, nor is it the safest, but I can't bring myself to part with it.

"I'm sorry, baby, but it's not!" Christian says as he shakes his head then turns to look at Elliot. "Go with Ryan, Lelliot. I'll drive you home after I drop Ana off."

"I only had that one beer and one shot!"

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Elliot. Get in the car with Ryan!" Christian says with a glare, and Elliot obediently follows Sawyer to my car.

I smile at Christian's obvious protective nature as he helps me into the backseat of the SUV, and my smile only grows as he insists that I buckle my seatbelt. He then gets in the car as well, and once Taylor is behind the wheel, we drive off towards my apartment.

"I really had fun tonight." Christian says, and if I didn't know better, I would say that he was surprised by that fact. "Thank you."

"I had fun too." I say and reach to hold his hand. For a good 5 minutes, he just looks at our joined hands as he rubs his thumb over my knuckles.

"Why was Elliot shocked when I touched you?" I find myself asking, and Christian's thumb freezes for a second.

"Later, remember?" He asks and looks at me with pleading eyes.

"But not much later, ok?" I ask, knowing that my curiosity will eventually get the better of me and I will keep nagging about the subject.

"Tomorrow good?" He asks, and I smile as I remember that we will be going on our first date.

"Good."

"Good." He repeats, and before I can say anything else, he unbuckles his seatbelt, and I'm suddenly pushed against the back of the seat, with Christian's lips devouring my own.

I give in to his kiss, my hands automatically going to his head and my fingers run through his unruly hair.

 _I've been dying to do this all night!_

I feel myself getting wet as his kiss intensifies, and I moan as his tongue joins mine in a battle for dominance. We only pull apart when we hear a soft cough coming from the front seat, and I'm mortified that I had just basically made out with Christian, completely forgetting about Taylor.

"We're here, Mr. Grey." I hear Taylor say, and I hide my face behind my hand.

"Oh my God!" I gasp, then I let out a giggle. "What are you doing to me, Christian?"

"Good things, I hope." Christian says with a smirk before he places one final kiss on my lips. "I would offer to walk you up, but I don't think that's a good idea, yet."

"Thank you." I say, grateful that he is keeping his word on taking things slow.

 _I might be very attracted to him, but I am not ready for that, yet._

"Until tomorrow?" He asks as I unbuckle my seatbelt and reach for the door handle.

"Until tomorrow." I say before I get out of the car and walk to the front door of my building, but not before taking my keys back from Ryan. I turn around just as I see Elliot and Ryan get in the car with him, and I softly wave goodbye at him before they drive off.

This time, as I look at the taillights of his car, I watch him ride away with a giddy feeling in my heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N 1: Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a great vacation. I did! Thanks for all the wonderful and amazing reviews you've given me about this story, and thanks for those who are following the story and who have marked it as a favorite. Shout out to all the amazing ladies in the FSOG Fanfic Obsessed group on Facebook! Your support means the world and this story wouldn't have become a reality if it weren't for you and your support! Here is the first date!**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Ana POV**

 **Saturday, Nov. 15** **th** **, 2014**

I wake up from my afternoon nap with a smile on my face, because the first thought that comes to mind is Christian. Last night was simply amazing, and if it's any indication of how our relationship is going to be, then I'm in for quite a ride.

I got a message from Christian 5 minutes after I got inside my apartment last night. At first I was ecstatic, but then I realized that I never gave him my phone number. It took me 10 seconds to guess how he got it, and he confirmed my suspicion that Jose had indeed given it to him.

The real shock was that he had asked for it on Tuesday morning. Apparently, he really couldn't get me out of his mind. I'm starting to suspect that Christian being at the pub last night wasn't a last minute decision, but I will wait until Jose is back in town before I get the truth behind that, simply because I have my ways in getting information out of Jose.

Christian told me to dress semi-formally for our date tonight. Apparently, he's taking me to dinner but wouldn't tell me where. He kept insisting that I needed to eat more, and that he was going to personally make sure that I do that. As I take a shower, I do a metal inventory of my closet, trying to decide on what to wear, then I decide on my hair and makeup up as I blow-dry my hair.

I had spent the day today relaxing in front of the TV, not wanting to think about anything, including my date tonight, but as the time was getting closer to said date, I began to get nervous and second-guess my decision to actually agree to it. I even almost called Christian to cancel tonight, but then I remembered that he promised to explain the story behind Elliot's shock when I touched, and I convinced myself that I am not cancelling the date because of that.

 _Yeah right, Steele. Keep telling yourself that!_

He said he would pick me up at 6:00 p.m., and as I apply the last of my makeup, I notice the time is exactly 5:58. I expect that I still have time for a glass of wine to calm myself down a bit, but as I make my way to the kitchen, I hear a knock on the door, and when I look at the blinking digits on the microwave, I see that it's exactly 6:00 p.m.

 _Punctual much?_

I smooth my hands over the front of my dress and take a deep breath before I make my way to the door, but once I open it and look at Christian standing on the other side, my breath catches in my throat.

He's standing there, wearing a dark grey suit with a black shirt. He's not wearing a tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt are undone, making me want to just run my fingers through the light copper hairs peeking from under the second button.

Once I get my bearings back, I realize that he is staring at me with an open mouth, making me feel a blush from head to toe.

Judging by his reaction, I would say that I made the right choice with my attire. I'm wearing a classic little A-line black dress that has a feminine flair. It's sleeveless with a high scoop neckline, and surprising cut out bare back. Its short skirt falls to a little over my mid-thigh, and it flares around as I move. I've let my hair down, lightly accentuating its natural curls and have it falling over my shoulder a bit. My makeup is very light, just a little bit of mascara and lipstick.

Not wanting to look like a hobbit next to the real life sex-on-legs God that is Christian Grey, I'm wearing my sky high red pumps, wanting to break the black color with my shoes.

"You like?" I ask after he stares for a moment too long.

"Like?" He asks and finally looks up to meet my eyes, making my breath hitch again with the intensity of his look. "If this wasn't our first date, this dress would have already found it's new home at the floor of your living room."

A small giggle leaves my lips, but I can actually feel my insides clench at his words.

"Let me grab my purse and jacket, and we can head out." I say as I turn around to grab my clutch from the kitchen counter, and I hear him take a deep breath.

 _I guess he likes the open back as well._

I smile to myself as I slip on a light jacket then walk back to where he is still standing by the door, and he barely moves to the side to let me lock the door. I walk ahead of him to the elevator, and as I press the button to call it, I turn and find him still standing by my door, making me giggle again.

"Coming, Grey?" I call at him, and he turns around quickly, shooting me a look that is dripping with lust.

"Hopefully." He says as he finally reaches me and together we step into the elevator. Once again, the atmosphere inside the closed space is charged, and for a second, I think that Christian would pounce on me, just like he did last Sunday.

Unfortunately, the elevator stops one floor below mine, and in steps Mrs. Carmichael, the elderly woman who lives right below me.

"Oh, Anastasia. You look lovely tonight my dear." She says as she looks at me, then at Christian.

"Thank you, Mrs. Carmichael." I say, and I can't help but try and stifle my laughter at the way she's checking Christian out.

"And who's this fine gentleman?" She asks, looking at Christian from head to toe.

"This is my boyfriend, Christian. Baby, this is Mrs. Carmichael, my neighbor." I say as I wrap my arm around his waist, subconsciously staking my claim on him.

 _Oh get over yourself, Steele. The woman is old enough to be his mother._

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Carmichael." Christian says, ever the polite man, as he pulls me closer to him.

"Oh, it's nice to meet _you_ , Christian." Mrs. Carmichael breathes, and I almost lose it as I feel Christian stiffen beside me.

Luckily, the elevator finally stops at the ground floor, and I believe that probably for the first time in his life, Christian actually ignores his manners and drags me out of the elevator, leaving Mrs. Carmichael behind.

"Oh my God!" I finally let my laughter out as we step out of the building. "That was hilarious!"

"Really, Anastasia?" Christian asks, but I see a smile tug at the corner of his lips.

"Come on, Grey!" I try to say between laughs. "It _was_ hilarious! She was practically undressing you with her eyes."

"It felt more like she was fucking me with her eyes, but it's all the same, I guess?" He asks with a shrug, making me break down in a new fit of laughter, which he soon joins.

"I particularly liked the way you wrapped your arm around my waist, baby." Christian says once we stop laughing and he leads me towards his car. Once I notice that he's driving the Spyder tonight, I let out a small groan.

"What's wrong?" He asks, but by the way he's raising his eyebrow at me, I think he knows exactly what I'm thinking.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" I ask as I stand in the middle of the sidewalk, with my hand resting on my hip.

"Did what?"

"Perv!" I say as I walk to the car, but as he opens the door for me, I stay standing in my place.

"Aren't you going to get in?"

"Go over to your side of the car, and stand by the door until I tell you to get in."

"Excuse me?" He asks, and I swear, I'm trying my hardest not laugh out loud at the comical expression on his face.

"You heard me."

"You're serious, aren't you?" He asks again after a few long seconds of me not moving.

"As a heart attack." I say and raise an eyebrow at him. I notice him taking a deep breath, but he moves to his side of the car nonetheless, muttering under his breath something that sounded like _infuriating woman_.

Once he's standing by his door, I can't help myself anymore and let out a booming laugh.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help myself!" I say once I'm calm enough, and I realize he's looking at me as if I had grown a second head. "I was kidding, Grey. Get in."

"Seriously?" He asks as he gets in the car, and I try my hardest to get in without flashing him my black lace panties.

"That was fun." I say as he turns the car on and drives away from my building. "Sometimes you look so serious, like you don't know how to have fun."

"I don't." He says with a straight face, and I realize that he's actually serious.

"What do you mean?" I ask, and I can't help but remember our night out last night, and just how fun he was to hang around with.

"I'm the CEO of a multibillion company; I don't have time to have fun." He says, and it's obvious by the tone of his voice that he might actually regret that fact.

"But last night…" I begin, not entirely sure how to finish that sentence.

"Last night was really out of the norm for me." He says with a sigh. "I'll explain more over dinner."

"Ok." I say with a small nod. After a few minutes of silence, I reach my hand towards the radio, but before I start pressing any buttons, I look at him, silently asking for permission.

 _You can never expect a man's reaction of playing around with their cars!_

"Sure." He says and smiles at me, I think his own way of appreciating the fact that I actually asked for permission.

I start fumbling around with the buttons, trying to find a song that is nice enough but not too corny. Suddenly, the car is filled with the sound of Backstreet Boys' _Get Down_ , and I start singing at the top of my lungs as I pump up the volume, then start doing some of the dance moves while I'm sitting in my place.

" _You're the one for me, you're my ecstasy, you're the one I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!"_ I sing and look at Christian, and I find him looking at me with wide eyes.

"Don't tell me you don't know this song, Grey!" I yell over the music, but he just shakes his head at me. I simply shrug at him then continue singing and moving around in my seat, until the song is finally over, and I turn the volume down before I sit back and let out a dreamy sigh.

"Oh, how I love the Backstreet Boys." I say and place my hand over my heart dreamily.

"Weren't you like a kid when that song came out?" He asks as he switches glances between the road and me.

"I'll have you know that I was 7 years old when Get Down came out, and I've been a fan ever since!" I say sternly.

"Really?" He asks with genuine surprise. "I never would've imagined. Who's your favorite?"

"AJ!" I quickly answer with another dreamy sigh, making his eyes grow wide again.

"The bad boy, huh?"

"So you do know them!" I say with a giggle.

"Only because Mia used to drive me crazy with their songs." He says with a shrug, making me giggle again.

"I love that sound." He suddenly says, making me blush. "You should always be happy, giggling. I could spend the rest of my life just trying to get you to giggle, and I'd die a happy man."

I'm left speechless at his words. He's been nothing but sweet to me since the day we met, and I've only managed to push him away more often than not.

 _You're not pushing him away now._

 _But I eventually will._

 _Might as well enjoy this while it lasts._

I roll my eyes at the internal voices going through my head, and decide to just shut them down and focus on tonight.

The rest of the ride is spent with the sound of music filling the air. About 10 minutes later, I feel the car slow down, and I gasp in surprise when I realize where we are.

"Oh my God!" I say when the car is fully parked in front of Canlis, one of the most romantic restaurants in Seattle. From the corner of my eye, I notice Christian getting out before he moves around and opens the door for me. He helps me out of the car, and I somehow notice him standing behind me so that the valet driver doesn't get an eyeful of my behind.

"Thank you." I say as he places his hand on the small of my back and leads me towards the front door of the restaurant.

"No thanks needed, baby." He says and leans his head towards my ears. "Your lacey panties are only for my eyes to see."

 _Fuck! He did see them!_

I try to tame down the blush on my face as we walk into the restaurant, but that blush immediately disappears when I notice the hostess ogling Christian as he tells her about our reservations.

"Yes, Mr. Grey. Your table is ready." She says as she bats her eyelashes at him. "If you would follow me."

We follow the rude hostess to our table, and like the gentleman he is, Christian pulls my chair out for me to sit.

"Thank you, baby." I say, shooting a deadly look at the hostess, who is still looking at Christian and does not see my glare.

"You're most welcomed, baby." Christian says and he places a soft kiss on my cheek before he moves around the table and sits in front of me. Seeing that, the hostess has a disappointed look on her face, but it's quickly replaced by a professional look.

 _In your face! He's mine!_

"Your server will be right with you, Mr. Grey." She says as she fills up our glasses with water, then quickly walks away from our table.

"Rude much?" I say as I take a long sip of water.

"I only have eyes for you, baby." Christian says as his eyes dance with amusement.

"I sure hope so." I say sternly.

If there is one thing I cannot tolerate, is a man's wandering eyes. You're taking me out, have the decency to only focus on me. Do not waste my time and yours by looking at other skanks.

"I told you this in my office last week, Anastasia. I will not disrespect you by looking at other women." Christian says, his tone now serious. "I understand that you've had a bad experience. I don't know what happened, but all I can tell you is that I am not him. Please keep that in mind."

"I'm sorry." I say after a moment of silence.

"No need to apologize, dear." Christian says and reaches across the table to hold my hand. "Want to tell me about it?"

"I…" I begin, but the waiter, who suddenly appears at our table, interrupts me.

"Good evening, Mr. Grey. It's great to have you back." The seemingly nice guy says, but his words make me stiffen in my chair.

 _Does he bring all his dates here?_

"Thank you, Frank." Christian says with a polite smile.

"Would you like to hear about our specials for tonight?"

I see Christian nod, but I do not hear a word of what the waiter is saying. My mind is reeling with the possibility of Christian always bringing his dates here, and even though I know it's not rational of me to be jealous, I am, and I can't think clearly because of it.

 _Did you really think that a sex-on-legs man like his did not have a history?_

"Ana?" I'm snapped away from my thoughts by Christian calling my name, and when I look at him, I see his brows knotted in a frown. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm sorry." I say and take another sip of my water.

"What would you like to have?" He asks, and I'm actually too embarrassed to tell him that I didn't hear what the waiter said.

"How about you order for me?" I ask, and his face splits into a wide smile. "I trust your tastes."

Christian quickly rattles off our order to the waiter, including his choice of wine, and I'm surprised to find that I'm really ok with him ordering for me.

I used to throw a fit when _the asshole_ even thought for one second that he could do that!

"Where were you back there?" Christian asks when the waiter walks away.

"Do you always bring your dates here?" I blurt out, wanting to know the answer to that.

 _Masochist!_

"No." Christian says with a soft smile. "But I always bring my mother and sister here. We usually come here for dinner every once in a while."

"Oh." I say, relief flooding over my body.

 _Then where did he take his dates?_

"You're the first woman I bring here, on a date. Sometimes I come here for business dinners, but other than my mom and sister, you're the only woman who's accompanied me here." He further explains, and even though I know I should just settle for his answer, the masochist in me wants to know more.

"So, where do you usually take your dates?" I ask, and judging by his tense shoulders, I know I asked the wrong question.

"Do you want me to be totally honest with you, Anastasia, or do you want me to go around the topic?" He asks, and I'm beginning to wonder if I did the right thing by agreeing to go on this date.

"Total honesty, Christian." I say, and just then, the waiter comes back with our wine.

I've never been more happy to see a bottle of wine in my life before.

"You're the first woman I ever take out on a date." He simply says once the waiter walks away, and I can literally feel my jaw hanging open. "I had a very rough start in life. I don't know if you know this, but I'm adopted. All of us are. However, Elliot and Mia were adopted when they were infants, while I was adopted when I was four years old."

I take a long sip of wine, waiting for him to finish. Something tells me that I might need that entire bottle of wine after hearing his story.

"My birth mother was a prostitute addicted to cocaine. Her pimp was also her supplier, and he was abusive to her and me. Whenever she passed out from a fix or from his beatings, he would turn to me. I was his personal punching bag and ashtray. He used to put out his cigarettes on my chest and back." Christian says, his voice void of any emotion, and I feel the tears burning the back of my eyes. "When I was four, my mother overdosed and died, and I was left alone with her body for days. The pimp discovered us, and he called the police. However, he left me with her dead body. By the time the police came and they took me to the hospital, I was malnourished, bruised, and hysterical."

 _Oh my God! Who could do this to an innocent child?_

"Grace, my mother, was the attending doctor at the ER where I was taken, and as she says, she knew I was going to be her son the minute she saw me. She and Carrick adopted me, but I was very difficult to handle. I couldn't stand to be touched, and I didn't speak for two years after that, until they adopted Mia. She brought me out of my shell, and I became as normal as anyone in my condition would be." He says and takes a long sip of his wine. "I still couldn't handle anyone touching me, still don't until now."

"But…" I ask, unintentionally cutting him off. "Is that why…"

"Yes, that's why Elliot was so shocked when you had your hand against my chest yesterday." Christian says, and again he looks at me with the same amazement he had in his eyes last night. "When I became a teenager, and I began to understand why my body was reacting the way it was to girls, I was stuck. I couldn't imagine being touched by any of my family, let alone a strange girl. I was an angry teenager, and I used to fight a lot. I was expelled from more than one school, until I realized what a disappointment I was to my parents. I remember coming home one day to find my mother in tears, and the way she looked at me shattered my heart. That was when I decided to pull my head out of my ass and try to find a way to let go of my anger."

At that moment, the waiter comes back with our food. He places the dishes in front of us, but I can't even look at it. My eyes stay fixed on Christian, waiting for him to finish his story.

"I began kickboxing, and surprisingly, it was a great outlet of all the pent up anger I had in me. I was then able to focus more on my studies, and by the time I graduated high school, I was accepted in Harvard. However, by the time I finished my first year, I had a full business plan to start with GEH, and by the second year, I was able to convince my father to give me the money to start it."

"That doesn't explain how I'm the first woman you take on a date." I say when I realize that he's not going to say more. Then a shocking thought comes to me. "Are you a virgin?" I whisper, making him burst out laughing.

 _I really should be offended by his reaction, but damn, I love his laugh._

"No, Anastasia, I'm not a virgin." He says, then sobers up a bit. "When I realized that I will not be able to have a normal relationship, I told the only person I could trust. I spoke to Elliot about it, and he was very supportive. I was 18 at the time, and he told me to research something called BDSM."

A gasp leaves my mouth at his words, and I shudder at the image of Christian in leather and holding a whip.

"I take it by your reaction that you know what BDSM is?" Christian asks with a curious eyebrow.

"Um, yeah. I researched it as part of psychology class I took in college." I stammer, a bit embarrassed by the fact that I know a bit about it.

"Well, rest assured, I will not be doing that to you." Christian says and I sigh in relief. "Elliot thought that it would appeal to me since I would be in total control of the situation, but it honestly didn't. I didn't like the idea of hurting anyone, even if they were willing. The only aspect of BDSM that appealed to me was tying my partner up, but I didn't imagine any girl would be willing to do that. That was proven when I had picked up a girl at a bar in college, and she left my dorm room in a fit of anger after I had asked to tie her up."

A small giggle leaves my lips at the thought, but I then sober up, imagining how I would react _when_ he asks me for the same thing.

"After that incident, I realized that my only option would be call girls, or escorts." Christian says, and I can obviously see how embarrassed he is by that admission. "I've been using the services of an escort agency for the past 10 years, because it was the only way for me to have sex, with no strings attached."

"Wow." I say after a long moment of silence.

I honestly did not see _that one_ coming.

"I totally understand if you want nothing more to do with me after hearing this, but you have to understand something, Anastasia." He says, and that's when I realize that for the first time in my life, I'm actually not annoyed by him calling me by my full name. "When you touched my chest in the car last Sunday, I thought I had imagined it when I didn't get the usual violent reaction. Then I realized that you were in fact touching me, and I couldn't believe myself. It was one of the reasons why I couldn't stop thinking about you. You caught my attention from the second I walked into the conference room, but what happened in the car assured me that it's not mere attraction that I feel for you. It's much more than that, which I can't seem to be able to identify yet. As the days went on, I thought it was a fluke, then you touched me again last night, and I couldn't deny it anymore. There's something about you that has me crave your touch."

"Oh Christian…" I say as a traitor tear makes its way out of my eye and down my cheek.

"Please, don't let my past define who I am, what we can be." Christian says as he reaches to touch my hand, but he pauses before his fingers actually reach mine, not sure if I would accept his touch or not.

The relieved smile that adorns his face as I close the space between our hands makes my heart swell, and I realize at that moment, that I really don't care about his past.

"My biological dad died when I was a year old. He was in the military, so we were living on a base with the rest of his friends and their families. When he died, my mother was asked to leave the base, and it devastated her. So, one of his friends stepped up, and he and my mother decided to get married so that she doesn't have to uproot herself and me from the life we were accustomed to." I begin, knowing that at least I owe it to Christian to be as honest with him as he was with me. "At the beginning, their marriage was that of convenience, but as the time went by, my mother and Ray fell in love with each other. When I became 3, Ray officially adopted me, making me a Steele. When I was five, my mother cheated on Ray, and she filed for divorce. I found out later that she never really fought to get custody of me, and I stayed with Ray. As far as I am concerned, he is my father. I don't know my biological father, nor do I remember anything about him. Dad always shows me pictures of him, but to me he's just a stranger."

"Ana…" Christian begins, and when I finally look up at him, I see him looking at me with eyes full of emotions that I can't figure out where one begins and the other ends.

"It's ok, you were honest with me, and I need to be honest with you." I say and take a deep breath. "I only had two boyfriends in my life. The first one was a high school crush, and that only lasted for a few months. I don't know if I can even count that as a relationship. When I was in my senior year in college, I met _the asshole._ " I say, and shake my head at the name I always call him in my head. Christian only looks at me with an amused smile. "I mean Paul. Jose and I only call him _the asshole_ because I can't stand hearing his name."

"Then _asshole_ it is." Christian says with a smirk, and I give him an appreciative smile.

"I was in a relationship with _the asshole_ for two years. Turned out, he was cheating on me for a year of those two. I walked in on him having sex with a girl in the apartment we shared together, and on our bed. I left right then and there, and had Jose go back there and pack my things for me."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"So am I, but the thing I'm sorry about is that he insulted me with his cheating. I don't think I was ever in love with him. He was convenient, but what I felt for him is nothing compared to the love I see between Jose and Ethan for example."

"You've never been in love?" Christian asks, and I can hear the surprise in his voice.

I take a deep breath and brace myself for his reaction at what I will say next.

 _No going back after this Steele. It was good while it lasted._

"I don't believe in love." I say and look at Christian, only to have his eyes grow as big as saucers. "My mother cheated on my father, and she says that she was in love with him, but then suddenly she wasn't. She's on her 7th marriage now, I believe, and I wouldn't be surprised if she gets married 3 more times before she dies, if not more. The only marriage I've seen last is that of Jose's parents, but I think that is a rarity that not everyone is lucky to have. My father was so in love with my mother that he still hasn't gotten over what she did to him. Love only brings you pain and heartache, and people are better off without it."

"That's a pretty strong opinion." Christian says as he sits back in his chair.

"If you say so." I say and down the rest of my wine before I reach for the bottle and fill my glass up again.

"I take it you don't believe in marriage as well." Christian states rather than asks.

"Not really." I say with a shrug. I look up at him after he's gone silent for a minute or two, and I find him with a look of deep contemplation on his face.

 _He's probably thinking about how he can cut this date short._

"If you're looking for something serious, Christian, then maybe you should look for it somewhere else." I say with a sigh. "I might be the first one to ever be able to touch you, but I don't think I'm the only one out there."

"You're probably right." Christian says, and my heart plummets into my stomach. "But I don't want anyone else to touch me. I only want you, Anastasia, and I don't care if I have to spend the rest of my life trying to change your mind about love and marriage."

"Huh?" I ask, genuinely confused by what he just said.

"On our way over here, I told you that I don't know how to have fun. That wasn't a lie, Anastasia. When I was in high school, I spent my free time kickboxing. In Harvard, I spent my time kickboxing, rowing, or focusing on my plan for GEH. When I started GEH, it took up all of my time. I never went clubbing, or had wild parties. I only went to bars to have a drink with Elliot. I don't have any friends except Elliot." He says, and I feel my eyes grow wide at what he says. "But yesterday, for the first time in my adult life, I spent time with people other than Elliot or my colleagues, and I actually enjoyed it. I enjoyed it because of you, because you were there. For the first time since I started GEH, I could actually relax and spend an evening without thinking about my next deal or what emails are waiting for me at home."

"But…"

"There are no buts about this, baby. I like you, I like what you're doing to me. I've said this before and I will say it again. You're like a breath of fresh air to my otherwise stale life."

"I'm sure there are other women out there who are far more interesting than I am."

"Who gives a fuck about them?" He asks, and I think he's starting to get annoyed with me. "I know you like me, you wouldn't be here otherwise."

"I never said I didn't."

"Then why are you fighting this?"

"I don't…" I begin, but decide on not saying what I wanted to say.

 _I don't want you to end up hurt because of me, because I might be just like my mother._

"I don't know." I say instead, and he lets out a sigh. Whether it was in relief or frustration, I don't know.

"We said one day at a time, didn't we?" He asks, reminding me of our agreement the night before.

"Yes we did." I say with a smile, and in an attempt to lighten up the mood, I add, "Sometimes I have the memory span of a goldfish. You will need to remind me of many things along the way, dear."

My attempt is a success, because Christian lets out a small laugh, but he suddenly turns serious when he looks at my plate and finds it untouched.

"Eat, Anastasia." He says, his tone commanding, making me pick up my fork and take a bite of the deliciously looking pasta in front of me. I let out a soft moan at the taste, and I see his eyes narrow at me.

"Don't do that."

"What?" I ask, not realizing what I had done.

"Moan when you eat. It makes me want to do… things. Things that are not appropriate for a public place like this." He says, his eyes blazing with what I can only identify as lust, and it forces me to press my thighs close together.

"Oh."

"Yes, oh." He says, and this sudden turn of conversation brings a question to the front of my mind.

I know I should just drop it. That I should just enjoy the lighter atmosphere we have turned to. I know it's too early for me to even wonder about that.

However, I'm not one to follow what my brain tells me to do!

 _I really should start doing that…_

"Um... Christian?" I ask, making him look at me as he takes a bite from his pasta. "Are you going to tie me up? I mean, if we end up doing… _that_." I ask, and I can feel the blush creeping up on my cheeks.

"When, not _if_." He begins, his eyes burning with intensity, and I feel a flood of moister ruin my panties. "And to be totally honest, I really don't know. You've only ever touched me over the fabric of my shirt. I don't know if I will have the same reaction if you touch me directly, or if I lash out."

"Aha…" I say and try to calm my nerves a bit.

Somehow, the idea of him tying me up is a bit exciting

We spend the rest of dinner enjoying a light conversation. Something that was obviously needed after the brutal honesty we shard earlier. By the time we finish our dessert, I realize that I have shared with him more stories about my life and childhood than I ever had with anyone else except Jose.

Once we leave the restaurant and are back in his car, I feel that usual electric current charge the air. The sexual attraction between us is palpable, and it has me wondering how long I can hold myself back from jumping him.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Christian asks as we drive back to my apartment.

"What do you have in mind?" I ask, and he just shrugs, not really knowing how to answer. "How about we go to the movies?"

"The movies?" He asks, and the shocked look on his face is actually funny.

"Yes, the movies. You know, a theatre with a big screen showing the latest movies. You usually eat popcorn and drink soda while watching." I say with a smile at just how inexperienced he is when it comes to dating. "And if you're lucky enough, you might get to make out with your date."

"Make out, you say?" He asks with a smirk.

"Yes, but only if you're lucky enough."

"Sure, why not." He says after a moment of silence, making me smile wider at him. We spend the rest of the drive back listening to music and talking about our favorite artists, or rather mine. Christian doesn't have one favorite artist, and he mostly enjoys classical music.

 _Big surprise there!_

"Thank you for the amazing time tonight." I say once he's parked in front of my building. I can tell by the look on his face that he wants me to ask him up, but I can't bring myself to say it yet.

"Thank you for being honest with me." He says as he holds my hand. I unbuckle my belt and reach out to place a soft kiss on his lips, but as soon as our lips touch, his hand is holding the back of my neck, intensifying the kiss, and making me moan into his mouth.

"This is really not fair." I gasp as I pull out for air.

"It's not?"

"No." I say and rest my forehead on his. "You're a great kisser, and it makes me want to do things I know I'm not ready for yet."

"I will never ask you do anything you're not ready for, baby." Christian says as he runs the back of his hand against my cheek.

"I know, and I really appreciate it." I say as I pull away and reach for the door handle. "Until tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow it is, baby." Christian says, and with that, I get out of the car and head back to my apartment, my head and heart swimming with different kinds of emotions that I don't dare try to identify.

 _One day at a time, Ana. One day at a time._

 **A/N 2: I received many reviews and PMs hoping that Ana doesn't go through with the artificial insemination, and I would like to ask you to just please wait and read through. I can't disclose what I have planned, otherwise it would be spoiling the whole story, but I would like to ask you to keep an open mind to all possibilities.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Once again, thanks to everyone who is taking the time to read the story, who has reviewed, chose the story as a favorite, and who is following it. I apologize if I haven't been able to respond to all your reviews and PMs, I hope that I will be able to soon. Also, I would like the guests who review to kindly sign in so that I can respond to their suggestions and ideas. Furthermore, I just want to point out that I don't have a beta, so any mistakes are mine and mine alone, not to mention that English is not my first language. Here is the second date, and it has a little spritz of lemon in it!**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Ana POV**

 **Sunday, Nov. 16** **th** **, 2014**

"So, what are we watching?" Christian asks as we stand in line at the movie theater, and I can't help but snicker at the way he seems so out of place. He admitted to me earlier on the way over that the last time he had actually gone to the movies was back when he was a kid, and his parents took him and his siblings to watch a Disney movie.

"What would you like to watch?" I ask as I go over the small pamphlet in my hands, listing the movies and their screening times.

"I absolutely have no idea." He says and looks over my shoulder at the paper I'm holding. "I don't know any of these movies!"

"You seriously have been living under a rock, Grey!" I say with a small giggle. "Would you like to watch a comedy? Action? Sci-fi?" I ask, and I notice him perking up at the last option. "Sci-fi it is. I guess we'll be watching Interstellar then!"

"What? No, we don't have to watch Sci-fi just because I enjoy it." Christian says. "And how did you know that I enjoy Sci-fi?"

"You perked up when I mentioned it." I said with a soft smile, making him smile at me in return. "And I enjoy all types of movies. Well, not really. My favorites are horror, sci-fi, and action."

"You're kidding, right?" Christian says as we take a step closer to the ticket window.

"If you're waiting for me to describe how I love watching Rom-com movies with my girlfriends while we braid our hair and paint our nails, you're going to be waiting for a while." I say and take his hand in mine. Suddenly, he pulls me back against his chest before he wraps his arms around the front of my abdomen and nuzzles his face against my hair.

"Where have you been hiding all my life?" He asks as his hot breath tickles the side of my neck, and my flesh breaks in goosebumps at the sensation.

"Around." I say, only managing a one-word answer.

"You like this?" Christian asks after a second when he realizes the affect he has on my body, and he places a small kiss behind my ear, making me struggle to hold back my moan. "Oh, you do. You're a neck girl."

 _If that means that you're turning me to mush by simply breathing against my neck, then yes I am!_

"Do you feel what you're doing to me?" He asks against my ear as he presses his hip against my backside, and I gasp at the rather large bulge I feel hiding in his pants.

 _Hello, Mr. Grey!_

"Aha…" I gasp and rub my ass against him making him let out a rather loud groan.

The sound of someone clearing their throat breaks us up from our trance, and I blush crimson at the fact that I just practically dry humped Christian in public, then I try to calm myself down as Christian purchases our tickets.

"I love your blush." Christian leans to whisper in my ear after he got our tickets. "I can't to wait to see how you look when I make you cum."

"Christian!" I gasp and smack his arm, blushing even more at his words.

"What?" He asks, feigning innocence.

"You can't say things like that when we're in public!"

"Why not?"

"Because… because…" I stutter, not knowing how to answer.

 _Because it makes me want to do things to you!_

"Have I rendered you speechless, Anastasia?" He asks as we make our way to the snacks window. "Or are you imagining what I would do to you?"

"Stop it!" I say with a giggle, hiding my face with my hands.

"Ok… ok…" Christian says with his own laugh.

15 minutes later, we carry our popcorn and drinks, him a Pepsi and me a lemon iced-tea, to our seats, and that's when I realize that we're seated at the very back of the theater. As soon as we sit down, the lights dim, and the trailers begin.

"Oh I love the trailers!" I say as I munch on my popcorn.

"You can just watch them on YouTube." Christian says as he crosses his legs, resting his ankle against his knee.

"Yes, but seeing them here tells you if they're worth watching at the cinema or if you should just wait until they're out on DVD. Sometimes you can really waste your time and money on movies that would've been just as good to watch at home." I say, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"Aha." I hear Christian say, but I'm not really paying him any attention. Soon, the movie starts, and almost 15 minutes into it, I realize that the two rows in front of us are empty. I look to both my sides, and I see that all seats beside us are empty as well.

"Christian?" I whisper, making him look away from the screen to me.

"Yes, baby?"

"Why are all the seats beside us and the two rows in front of us empty?" I ask, receiving a shrug from him before he looks back at the screen. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" He innocently asks, but even in the darkness of the theater, I can see his eyes twinkling.

"Did you buy out all the seats around us?" I ask with a gasp, making him shrug again.

I had mentioned to him on the way over that the one thing that annoyed me about going to the cinema is the people around you who just didn't know how to keep quiet while watching a movie.

"You said you didn't like people who kept talking around you." He says, suddenly finding his popcorn interesting. "Better safe, right?"

"Oh my God, Christian! That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me!" I say and almost jump over the arm separating our seats and attach my lips to his. His hands immediately go to the back of my neck, bringing me closer to him and deepening our kiss. Before I even realize what is happening, Christian pulls me to straddle him, and the next thing I know, we're making out like a couple of teenagers at the movie theater.

I break the kiss only because my need to breathe became too strong to ignore, but before I can say anything, Christian attaches his lips to my neck, and I have to stifle down the moan that wants to leave my mouth. I feel his nimble fingers sneak under my shirt, and I can only arch my back, allowing his hand to reach my breast and cup it.

As he gently holds my left breast with his hand, I feel his right hand sneak under the waistband of my pants and rest on my ass. The sensation I'm getting from his delicious assault on my body makes me rub against him, earning a soft hiss of appreciating from him.

"Christian…" his name falls off my lips in a moan as I tug at his hair.

"Sssh…." Christian whispers, his kisses moving from my neck to my jaw. "You need to keep quiet, baby. We don't want to be kicked out, do we?"

I have to bite on my lip to keep from moaning out louder as I feel his fingers squeeze my nipple from over the fabric of my bra, and with that one movement, I know my panties are ruined.

"Fuck, Ana." Christian gasps, now biting gently on my earlobe before taking it between his teeth and sucking on it. "I can feel your warmth over my pants. Can you feel me, baby?"

"Yes!" I gasp, but then I freeze when I feel his hands moving to unbutton my pants.

"No one is going to see us, baby." Christian says, his eyes burning with desire. "Trust me?"

I realize that I'm nodding at him when he pops the button on my pants, and gently slides the zipper down. My eyes roll into the back of my head as I feel his fingers brush against my sensitive skin down there, and the hiss I hear coming from him tells me that he likes that I'm waxed.

"Shit, baby!" He whispers as his fingers inch closer to _that_ bundle of nerves. "You're soaked!"

"Oh God!" A whisper leaves my throat and I can't stop myself from pushing against his hand, seeking a little bit of friction against my burning flesh. Even with the difficult position we are in, I feel him manage to sneak his whole hand inside my pants, and I throw my head back as he inserts a finger between my folds.

"You're so tight, baby." Christian whispers before he pulls my face closer to his again. "I can't wait to feel you around my cock. Do you want that, baby? Do you want to feel me slamming into you? Fucking you?"

I only whimper in response as I feel myself rising to the point of no return. He adds another finger to the one already inside me, and I whimper again as I begin to feel my inner walls tighten around his two digits. Then everything happens at once; Christian pulls me roughly to him, crashing his lips against mine, just as his fingers brush against that magical spot I always thought I was born without, and I scream into his mouth, his kiss swallowing my moans of pleasure as my body shatters in ecstasy.

"God, you're so beautiful when you cum." Christian whispers into my ear as I rest my head against his shoulder, struggling to get my breath back to regular. Once I know I won't fall off his lap if I move, I sit back, making his eyes close as I brush against his swollen manhood. Right at that moment, I know I want to give him the same amount of pleasure he's given me, and I couldn't care less about where we are.

I pay close attention to how I move as I get off his lap, simply because I don't want to hurt him with any sudden move, but instead of going back to my seat, I sink to my knees in front of him. His eyes widen at my move, and when I reach for his belt, his hands stop me from unbuckling it.

"What are you doing, baby?"

"Returning the favor, baby." I say and move to his buckle again, but once more, he stops me.

"I don't want you to do this just because I did."

"I want to do this, Christian." I say with a smile that I hope is reassuring to him. "I want to taste you, I want to own your pleasure."

"Oh, fuck." He says, obviously turned on by my words as I feel him swell even more against my hands. It takes him a few seconds before he rests his arms on his side, giving me full reign over his body. Within less than a minute, I have his pants undone and his boxers pushed down a bit, releasing what I can only describe as a magnificent sight.

I never imagined I would ever use the word beautiful to describe a dick, but damn, Christian's hard cock is nothing if not beautiful. A soft moan escapes my lips as I dart my tongue and lick that small pearl from the top of his head, and the moan that leaves his mouth only spurs me on.

I feel him push his hips towards me as I wrap my lips around his head, then I swirl my tongue around that small underside of it. For the next two minutes, I continue to do only that, and when I chance to look up at him from under my lashes, I see his eyes closed tightly, while his hands are gripping the seat arms too hard I can actually see his knuckles turn white.

I rest my hands on both his thighs as I continue to lick the tip of his cock, then I push his legs further apart before I take him a little deeper into my mouth. I then set a rhythm: I suck the tip of his cock, then I take him a bit deeper than I did the time before, then I go back to sucking the tip of his cock. For a good 10 minutes, I torture him with my attentions, and I can feel his entire body vibrate under my hands.

I can tell he's getting closer to his release by the way his breathing is becoming more labored, and that's when I decide to shock him. Christian is not an average man by any standards. His cock is large to say the least, and I'm willing to bet my entire savings account – as humble as that may be – that he was never deep throated before.

My suspicions are confirmed when I feel him jerk up once I swallow him to the point that the tip of my nose is touching his pubic bone, and I think I hear him mutter a string of curses under his breath before I feel his fingers in my hair trying to hold my head back away from him.

"Baby, I'm going to…" he begins, but I don't let him finish his sentence as I hum around him, sending him over the cliff of pleasure, and I feel his entire body shudder under my hands with his release.

A few seconds later, I pull him out of my mouth and tuck him back into his pants, but he's too far gone to even realize what I'm doing. His head is thrown back against the seat, and his breathing is still labored. I just giggle at the sight before me, but I can't help the feeling of triumph I have inside at rendering him to this state of utter bliss.

Suddenly, his head snaps up, and he rights his clothes, before taking my hand in his and standing up, only managing to pull me up with him.

"Where are we going?" I ask with another giggle.

"We're getting out of here." Christian says as he practically drags me out of the dark theater. "I need to get you somewhere private."

"Like where?"

"My place or yours, you decide." He says, not even looking at me as we make our way out of the building and to his car. My mind is going a mile a minute, wondering if I'm actually ready to take that step, but one look at him tells me that I am, and if I have a chance to give him the same amount of pleasure I gave him back there, I will not pass out on it.

Just as we are approaching his car, I hear his phone start to ring, but he obviously decides on ignoring it, because he just continues on his way. As soon as the ringing stops, it picks up again, and by the time we actually get in the car, I think the phone has rung at least 3 times.

"Aren't you going to get that?" I ask as we get in the car and his phone starts ringing once again.

"We're on a date." He states as if that is the most logical answer in the world.

"Baby, please pick it up. It might be something important." I say as I reach to hold his hand, making him look at me with a look I can't really understand, before he takes his phone out of his pocket.

"What is it, Ros?" He barks into the phone, and I almost giggle at his tone, but then I see his face lose all its color. "WHAT? What the fuck are you talking about?" Pause. "How the fuck did that happen?" Pause. "Are you fucking telling me that the fucking security did not do their fucking job there?"

 _Well, that was a lot of fucks in one sentence._

"Fuck!" He now screams, making me flinch in my seat, and I look at him with worried eyes. "I'll be there in 30 minutes. I just need to drop Ana off at her apartment." He says, and pauses to hear what this Ros person is saying from the other end of the line. "Fuck you Ros! Now is not the time!"

"Don't even think about trying to apologize." I say once he hangs up and looks at me with apologetic eyes, and squeeze his hand gently with mine. "It's obvious that something serious is going on. You can tell me if you want to, but you don't have to."

"I'm really..." He begins, but I cut him off with a quick kiss.

"I understand baby, I really do. I can take a cab back home if you want to get there faster."

"The fuck you will!" Christian snaps as he turns the car on and drives off. "An explosion happened at our shipyard in Boston and I have to go there."

"Is anyone hurt?" I ask, not able to hide the horror from my voice. "Will you be safe there?"

The look that Christian gives me then is one of amazement and wonder, and I'm actually glad that we've stopped at a traffic light, because he just doesn't take his eyes off me.

"What?" I ask after a few long seconds.

"I tell you that I have to cut our date short, and that I have to go to the East Coast, and the first thing you ask is that?" He says, his tone filled with so much emotion. "You amaze me, Ana."

"You still haven't answered me!"

"Fortunately, no one was hurt." Christian says as the light turns green and he drives off again. "And yes I will be safe. I'll have Taylor with me."

"Is he reliable?"

"He's the best there is."

"Good."

"You worry about me." He states rather than asks, and I just shrug, not knowing how to respond to that.

 _Of course I worry about you, you idiot!_

He doesn't say anything else after that, and I sink into my thoughts of just _why_ I would worry about him as much as I am right now.

 _Because you're starting to have feelings for him, dipshit!_

"I'm really sorry I had to cut the date short, baby." Christian says once he stops in front of my building. "I promise to stay in touch while I'm away. I'll call you every day, and we can Skype whenever you can."

"How long do you think you'll be?" I ask, actually feeling sad by the prospect of not seeing him for a few days.

"I'm not sure. I have to be there for the whole investigation, so it could take a while. But I'm hoping nothing longer than two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" I almost shriek at hearing that, but then I take a deep breath to calm myself down. "It's ok. Like you said, we'll talk every day and we'll Skype whenever we can."

"Yes." He says, then he reaches across the middle console to kiss me. I moan into his kiss, but before I realize it, the kiss is over, and I'm climbing out of the car.

This time, as he drives away, I feel like he has taken my heart away with him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Ana POV**

 **Tuesday, Nov. 25** **th** **, 2014**

It's been a little over a week since I last saw Christian, and I can honestly say that I'm not enjoying the feelings I have about this. I miss him, more than I would like to admit, and I've realized that I've grown attached to him to a certain extent. We have talked every day, as much as his schedule allowed him to, and every time we spoke, whether on the phone or over Skype, we managed to learn something new about each other.

Fortunately, the investigation in Boston proved that the explosion happened due to an electric fault, and thankfully, no one was injured. I thought that the quick findings of the investigation would bring Christian back to Seattle sooner, but a deal he was working on with a telecommunications company in London was getting complicated, and he had to go there. He said that he won't be back until after Thanksgiving, which is only 2 days away.

And my final IUI appointment is 1 day away.

Tomorrow!

I still haven't told Christian about it; it's not like this is something that can be discussed over the phone. I've contemplated cancelling the appointment once, but then I had one question go through my mind.

 _What if things with Christian don't work out?_

Having a family has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I've wanted it with every fiber of my being; I just can't bring myself to change that simply because I've met someone. It goes against all my principles and beliefs.

I like Christian, a lot, more than I ever thought I could like anyone after _the asshole_ , but that's as deep as my feelings go for him at the moment. Will he be the one to change my mind about love and make me fall for him? I don't know, maybe, but I will not put my dreams on hold because of him. I'm at a point in my life where I've established myself in my career and I have great friends. Other people my age are struggling to make ends meet, let alone make their dreams come true. I'm one of the very few lucky people who can say that I have the support of my friends and amazing family, and I will not change my plans because I met someone.

The sound of my computer pinging with an incoming Skype request takes me away from my thoughts, and I see that Christian has sent me a call request. I glance at the time and find it approaching noon, which means that the time is almost 8 p.m. in London.

"Hey baby!" Christian's face comes up on my screen as soon as I hit the accept button. "How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" I say with a small smile. I try to cheer myself up for him a bit, but my mind is still wandering with all my thoughts.

"What's wrong?" He asks, his face and tone turning serious. "Are you ok? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, I'm ok." I lie. I can't bring myself to discuss this issue over Skype. It's something to be discussed in person, and only to inform him of my plan, nothing else.

 _I will tell him when he gets back!_

"Have you had lunch yet?" He asks, making me roll my eyes. It's like he's on a personal mission to make me gain weight.

"My lunch break doesn't start for another 5 minutes." I say as I tap my fingernails against my desk. "I'm going down to the deli across the street with Jose and Hanna."

"Good." Christian says with a small nod, and I see him reach for something from behind the screen. I then see him wrapping a tie around his neck, and that's when I realize that he's wearing a crisp white dress shirt.

"Are you going somewhere?" I ask, silently wondering what he would be doing when it's 8 o'clock where he is.

"Yes, I have a dinner meeting with the owner of the company I'm trying to buy." Christian says, and by the way he's not looking at me, I realize that there's something he's not telling me.

"And is that owner a he or a she?" I ask, unable to tame down the green monster that is dying to let loose in my office.

"Ana…" Christian begins with a sigh.

"So it's a she." I say with a small nod, getting the answer from his frustrated sigh.

I know I'm being irrational with my jealousy, but it's like I can't help it. He has told me time and time again that he would never do what _the asshole_ did to me, but I can't seem to be able to control it.

Besides, does he really not realize just how good he looks? I've only been out with him 3 times since we first met, and on those 3 time, I felt like I wanted to gouge out the eyes of at least 5 women!

"Do you not trust me?" Christian asks as he lets go of the tie and focuses his attention on me. "Do you really think that I would do anything that could jeopardize what we have?"

I let out a loud sigh without answering him, simply because I don't know what to tell him.

"You're being irrational, Anastasia." Christian says, his lips now set in a firm line. "That night at the bar, you asked me to tame my jealousy. Please extend me the same courtesy, Ana. I fully trust you, and I know that you will never do anything to hurt me or make me question your fidelity towards me. Please have the same faith in me."

I feel my eyes tearing up at his words, and I fight to hold the tears back. He has so much faith in me, and I still can't bring myself to tell him everything.

 _I really need to tell him!_

"What time will you be back after your dinner?" I ask, and he only runs his hand through his hair and lets out another sigh.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully not after 10." He says and goes back to fixing his tie.

"Could you let me know when you get back?" I ask, just as Jose walks into my office.

"What are you still doing sitting on that cute ass of yours, Annie?" Jose asks as he moves around the desk and sees Christian's face on my screen. "Hello there, handsome. How is London treating you?"

"Very professional, Jose." Christian says, and for once, I realize that he's not joking around. "What if Ana was Skyping with an author?"

"I knew she wasn't, because I have her schedule memorized, and by the way she's sulking in her seat, I knew she was either talking to you or Ray." Jose says with narrow eyes. "Give me some credit, Grey."

"Make sure she eats her lunch." Christian says before he looks at me. "I'll let you know when I get back."

"Ok, because there's something I need to talk to you about." I say with a small sigh, making Jose look at me with wide eyes.

"Judging by the way Jose is looking at you, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that he already knows." Christian says with his own sigh. "I need to go now. I'll text you when I get back."

With that, Christian signs off, not even saying goodbye or sending me a kiss.

"Why is he pissed at you?" Jose asks and sits on the edge of my desk. "And what do you want to talk to him about?"

"He's pissed at me because I can't seem to be able to tame down my jealousy." I say with a very loud sigh. "And I need to talk to him about tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Jose asks, genuinely confused, but when I give him a pointed look, his eyes grow wider, and then his face morphs into a combination of shock and anger.

"You're still doing it?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?"

"Are you fucking kidding me, Anastasia?" Jose asks, and I inwardly wince at his tone.

 _He's pissed!_

"A blind man can see that you have something real going on with Christian! Do you really want to jeopardize that by going through with your plan?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I ask, seriously confused by his words. Christian and I have only been out on 2 dates, one of which was cut short because of his work. We've only seen each other in person 4 times, and that's including our first meeting! There's no way in hell that anyone, let alone a blind man, can see our relationship going anywhere other than where it is at the moment.

"You really need to get your head out of your ass, Ana." Jose says, then he takes a deep breath, and I know he's trying to calm himself down. "Maybe it's time you see someone, sweetie."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like a professional." Jose says, and I'm literally shocked into silence. "Your attitude of not believing in love and not trusting your heart is not healthy. I've told you this a million times, you are not Carla, and Christian is not Paul. Love exists, and it's real. Carla is the rare case out there, not Ethan and I, nor are my parents."

"We've been through this over and over again." I say with a roll of my eyes. "I'm not saying that I don't like Christian. I do; I like him a lot, but we've only been on 2 dates. I know he likes me just as much, but it's irrational to think that whatever we have between us could go beyond this, not yet anyway."

"So you're just going to tell him about your appointment tomorrow, then what? Do you expect him to fly out and hold your hand during the procedure?"

"Of course I don't." I say with a huff. "You of all people know how much this means to me. You know how much I want a family, and how strongly I feel about this."

"You can have a family with Christian! You're only 25, you still have a lot of time to settle down and have a family."

"And then our kids will be torn between two houses when we get divorced!" I snap at him. "I will not change my plans and dreams based on the fact that I only like someone, Jose!"

"Who says you will get divorced in the first place?" Jose snaps back. "Not every marriage ends in divorce, Ana."

"Do you know that about 40-50% of marriages end up in divorce here in the States? It's a statistical fact, and I will not risk my child's future based on these high numbers!"

After a few long minutes of silence, where Jose and I just stare at each other, he lets out a long breath and gets off the edge of my desk before he simply leaves my office as he shakes his head. I sit back in my chair, lean my head back on the headrest, and close my eyes.

I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. Nothing Jose or anyone can say will change my mind, and I just have to explain things to Christian from my point of view. Then it'll be up to him; he can either be supportive of my decision, or he can decide to leave.

 _Why does my heart hurt when I think of him leaving?_

I shake my head to rid myself of the thought, and I decide to focus back on work, having lost my appetite after my talk with Jose. I drown myself in a manuscript that is very captivating, and before I know it, I hear the janitor knocking on my door, telling me that everyone has left.

I look at the time on my laptop and I realize that the time is pushing past 6 p.m., and that's when I also realize that Christian never called me back. My heart sinks at the thought, and I can't stop my mind from wandering with all different scenarios that could've held him back from texting me.

I send off a quick e-mail to HR letting them know that I will not be coming in tomorrow, and then I do a quick math in my head as I gather my things, only to find that the time in London now must be approaching 2 a.m.

 _Shit he must be sleeping already!_

As I make my way to my car, I contemplate whether I should call him or not, but as I sit behind the wheel, I make my mind, and hit dial on his number. I hear the phone ring a couple of times, before Christian's cheerful voice comes through, and I silently sigh.

"Hi baby!" He says, and I can tell that he's been drinking.

"You didn't call me back, and I got worried." I say as I drive out of the parking lot.

"I still haven't gone back to my room." He says and lets out a small hiccup.

"You're still at your business dinner?" I say, feeling my heart beat so fast it could get out of my chest. "It's almost 2 a.m. where you are."

"Yeah…" He begins, but then I hear another voice speaking, and I feel like I'm being drowned in cold water.

"Christian dear, can you take me back to my room now?"

"Sure." I hear Christian say, and I'm shaking so bad I have to pull over. "Just let me finish up my call real quick."

"Really, Christian?" I ask, my voice barely coming out. "Don't bother calling me back again, you asshole!"

"What?" I can hear the shock and surprise in his tone, but I couldn't give a fuck about how he feels right now. "Baby? Oh shit… Wait, Ana, I can explain!"

"Fuck you!" I yell into the phone then throw it on the seat beside me. A second later, my phone starts ringing, but I ignore it as I try to calm myself down enough to be able to drive. I'm so pissed at myself that I let this happen to me again, but at the same time, I'm feeling something akin to pain and hurt about this. I never felt this when I found Paul in bed with his girlfriend.

Why does it hurt now?

I feel the tears stream down my face as my phone continues to ring, but I keep ignoring it. The pain I feel in my chest is foreign to me, and I'm confused and hurt and can't seem to be able to stop crying.

When the ringing becomes too annoying, I just reach for the phone and switch it off. A few minutes later, I manage to calm myself down enough to be able to drive, and I make my way home, my mind going a mile a minute.

 _He's such a great liar! He lied to my face, more than once!_

 _He said he wouldn't ever disrespect me!_

 _Fucking asshole!_

15 minutes later, I'm finally home, and my mind is still reeling over what happened. I still can't wrap my head about the pain I'm feeling, but I decide to ignore it.

 _It's because this has happened to you twice, nothing more._

I quickly change my clothes, and make my way to the kitchen. I pull out some cookies n' cream ice-cream from the freezer, and my eyes land on the bottle of vodka there. I contemplate pulling it out, but then decide against it.

I might be hurting, but I have a bigger goal to focus on for tomorrow. Ice-cream will have to do for now. I go back to the living room and turn on the TV, deciding to just watch my recorded stash of Game of Thrones to keep my mind off Christian and what he has done.

20 minutes into the first episode, I realize that I can't switch my mind off, so I decide to just go to bed. Once I'm under the covers, I toss and turn for a while, but my body finally gives in to the exhaustion brought on by my mind.

My final thoughts before I fall asleep is of grey eyes and a baby.

 **A/N: Here is the new chapter. I hope you liked it. I know that many of you did not like how Ana acted here, and how stubborn she is, but there's a method to my madness. Things will become more clear with the following chapters.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: First of all, I want to take a minute to send a shout out to the amazing ladies in the FSOG FanFic Obsessed group on Facebook, especially Diamond Child, Lanie Loveu, Daisy Grey, Carmel Roads, Phillaenis Samos, and all the other ladies who either grace us with amazing stories or simply take the time to read and review our products (Sorry if I missed out on anyone, but I can't remember everyone's name). If you haven't checked out their stories, make sure to do so.**

 **For those of you who don't know about it yet, I've written a one-shot called Desires, and I received a few harsh reviews about it, not that it wasn't expected. However, to the trolls who aren't brave enough to sign in, what-the-fuck-ever. This is my profile, and if you don't like anything I write, don't read it. I live thousands of miles away from you, and I'm pretty sure I did not march into your houses, opened up your web browsers, and forced you to read my stories at gun-point. When I write a story that I think might not be suitable for everyone, I write a warning about it. I'm pretty sure all the other writers do the same. Having said that, please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 **Ana POV**

 **Wednesday, Nov. 26** **th** **, 2016**

 _I did it!_

That's the only thought I have going through my mind as I walk out of Dr. Greene's practice. I feel my whole body buzz with nervous energy as I walk to my car after going through my final round of IUI. Dr. Greene advised me to do a blood test exactly two weeks from today to see if things worked out. She said that the results would be more conclusive, and that it will spare me the nerves of having to wait for my period to be late.

However, as soon as I get in my car, my mind goes back to Christian and what happened the day before. When I finally turned my phone on this morning, I found 15 voice messages from Christian, but I deleted them all before listening to them. I didn't want to hear any more of his lies, and I wanted to be at least calm when I did the procedure.

This morning I decided to drive up to Montesano to spend Thanksgiving with my dad. The plan was originally to spend it here in Seattle with Jose and Ethan, but after everything that has happened; I knew that I needed to be away for a few days. I called my dad and told him of my plans, and he was very welcoming and happy. He said that he had a surprise for me, and I was actually excited about it. For the first time in years, he actually sounded happier than he ever was, and I couldn't wait to find out the source of his happiness.

I had packed my things in the morning so that I could drive up home as soon as I left the clinic. So, almost two hours later, I drive up to my childhood home, and a smile tugs at my lips as I see my dad sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"There's my baby girl!" My dad says as I get out of the car. He meets me halfway and engulfs me in one of his signature hugs, bringing out all the emotions I've been trying to fight since last night to the surface.

"What's wrong, Annie?" Dad asks as I start crying against his shoulder.

"Can we go inside?" I ask as I wipe away my tears. "It's a bit chilly out here, and I could kill for one of your hot chocolate cups."

"Of course. I'll go start on it while you grab your things from the car." He says as he studies me over with his eyes. I just smile at him reassuringly before he walks back into the house.

15 minutes later, we're sitting in the living room, him drinking a fresh cup of coffee, and me holding to my cup of hot chocolate for dear life.

"What's going on, baby girl?" Dad asks after a few minutes of silence, making me give out a loud sigh.

"I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is always a good place." He says with a smile, making me smile in turn.

"About three months ago, I started getting hormonal treatment for IUI." I begin, and my dad's eyes are a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Artificial insemination?" He asks, and I just nod at him. "Why would you do that?"

"I want a family." I say with a small shrug, as if that's the simplest explanation in the world.

"I see." Dad says, his face now stoic and emotionless; his usual sign of not wanting his emotion to get the better of him. "Are you pregnant?"

"I don't know." I say and take a deep breath. "I did my final round today. The first two attempts didn't work, and today was my final chance. If it doesn't work out, I have to stop for a few months, to let my body rest before I pick it up again."

"I see." He says again. "What made you decide to go down that route? You're only 25, Annie."

"I know, but it's always been my dream to have a family of my own, and I'm at a point in my life where my personal life and career are both stable enough to take that step."

"What about a partner?" He asks, and I raise my eyebrow at him, making him let out a sigh of frustration. My dad knows where I stand on love and marriage, and he's been as frustrated with me as Jose was, if not even more, about it.

"Oh Annie." He says and looks at me with sympathetic eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that what your mother did is not the norm in relationships? Neither is what Paul did."

"You and Jose keep saying that, but I can't bring myself to believe it." I say and keep my eyes fixed on the cup in my hands. "Besides, I met someone, and he did exactly the same. It's kind of hard to believe in fidelity and love when you get cheated on twice."

"You met someone?" Dad asks, and I can tell by the tone of his voice that he's not happy that's he's only hearing about it now. "Who is he?"

"His name is Christian Grey." I say, then I go on to explain everything about how I met Christian, from the day I helped Jose out, to the phone call we had last night. I skip over the details that no father wants to hear about his daughter and her ex-boyfriend, but I make sure to let him understand that we haven't been intimate in the full sense of the word.

"Did you at any point mention your plans of starting a family on your own to him?" He asks, making me shake my head at him.

"I wanted to, but it's not something to discuss over the phone. Then he decided that I'm not enough for him, so the point is practically moot anyway."

"So, let me see if I get this right." Dad starts after a long minute of silence. "For the first time since Paul, you let your heart open to someone who repeatedly told you that he would never cheat on you, yet you think he did. Jose and Ethan both think the world of him, and think that what you two shared had the potential of becoming something real and serious. And you, my precious girl, being the stubborn woman you have always been, refused to listen to his messages to hear what he has to say for himself."

"I'm not stubborn!" I say with narrowed eyes, and Dad just smiles at me, as if to silently tell me _keep telling yourself that_.

"I'm partly to blame for the way you look a love and marriage." Dad says after another minute of silence. "I should have never told you that what your mother did affected me the way it did. There are things that a parent has to keep from their children, and you'll understand that when you become a mother. It's our job as parents to keep our children safe, but as you grew up, you were both a daughter and a friend to me, and I could always talk to you about anything. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret the relationship we have, on the contrary, I love it, and I would never change anything about it, but I regret playing a role in influencing your views on relationships the way I did."

"Dad…" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"No, Annie. Let me finish, please." He says and takes a deep breath. "Yes, what your mother did to me hurt me deeply, and it did make me swear off relationships for the longest time, but I recently realized that your mother wasn't the only reason I've stayed single for as long as I did. I just never found someone who I found interesting enough to pursue a relationship with. Your mother is in love with the idea of being in love, and I don't think she's ever been single since she started dating. Frank was her first relationship ever, and I believe that he was her one true love. The way she lost him so unexpectedly affected her on a deeper level than any of us can ever understand, and perhaps that's why she never settled down with one person. She had already found her true love and he was taken from her. I strongly believe that every person has a soul mate out there, their one true love. Until recently, I thought your mother was mine, even when somehow I knew that I wasn't hers, but I met someone, and I believe that she is my one true love."

I feel my eyes grow wide as saucers at my dad's admission, and my jaw hits the floor.

"I think it's safe to say that Paul was not your soul mate, neither were you his, but there is someone for you out there. Now, I'm not saying that it's Christian, I still don't know how I feel about him, but you can't dismiss the possibility until you hear what he has to say for himself. You didn't give him a chance to explain things, and until you do, you need to keep an open mind."

"I don't want to…" I begin but he cuts me off again.

"You're going to keep wondering and asking yourself questions if you don't. The same happened to me with your mother. For years, I kept wondering and asking myself if I wasn't enough for her, and _why_ I wasn't enough for her. Then I pulled my head out of my ass and called her, demanding answers, simply to give myself closure." He says, and again, he shocks me into silence. "I never met Christian, but I could tell there was something good going on with you whenever we talked over the last couple of weeks. You sounded lighter, happier even, and I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's because of him.

I wish you had told me about your whole plan to start a family before you took that step, but you're an adult, and it's your life. However, I will say this; it's not fair to Christian or to you that you haven't told him about it. I can tell by the way you talk about him that your feelings go deeper than just liking him. You can deny it until you're blue in the face, but I know you baby girl."

I sit in silence, just staring at my dad. Could it be? No. It can't be. I don't believe in love. I can't be in love when I don't believe in it, right?

Deciding that I don't want to think about this now, I smile at my dad and ask him a question that's been bugging me since he started talking.

"So, who is she?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, and he narrows his eyes at me.

"Don't think that I don't know what you're doing, Annie." He says, obviously understanding my avoidance technique, but he lets it go as he begins to tell me about his girlfriend, and his smile could simply light up the room. "Her name is Sandra. She just moved into town a few months ago. She has a daughter who is a few years younger than you are but she lives in New York; I haven't met her yet but I've talked to her over the phone a couple of times."

"When can I meet her?" I ask, excited by the prospect that my father is finally moving on and has found happiness with someone.

"Tomorrow. She's having a Thanksgiving dinner for a few of our friends, including the Rodriguez's. She was so excited when I told her you're coming home for Thanksgiving. She can't wait to meet you."

"Oh, I didn't realize you had plans for tomorrow." I say, unable to hide my disappointment.

" _We_ have plans, you and I." Dad says and moves to sit beside me before he wraps his arm over my shoulder. "I might be in love, but no matter what, you always come first. If you're not up for the company, we can stay home and spend Thanksgiving together, just you and I."

"No, no." I say as I rest my head on his shoulder. "I just don't want to impose."

"You won't be." Dad says and runs his fingers through my hair. We sit in a comfortable silence, and the way his fingers feel against my scalp relaxes me. Before I know it, my eyes are closing, and I fall asleep against my father's chest - my safe haven.

* * *

I wake up a few hours later in my childhood bedroom. Dad must've carried me here, and I smile as I realize that he had tucked me under the covers. Just like old times.

When I was younger, I always fell asleep on the couch watching TV, and every night, Dad would carry me up to my room and tuck me in, and I would always wake up the following morning in my room and under my covers.

As I make my way out of my room, I hear my Dad talking to someone, but when I don't hear another voice at home, I realize that he must be on the phone.

"Yes, son. She's here." I hear him say, and I know I shouldn't eavesdrop, but I can't help myself. "Yes, she drove up here this morning." Pause. "She's ok, I think." He says, and I think he's talking to Jose. "I understand." Pause. "Yes." Pause. "She has told me about you."

Huh? Not Jose then.

 _Who else?_

"Yes." Pause. "She told me what happened." Pause. "You don't need to explain things to me, son. You need to be telling her this." I hear my dad say, and I realize he must be talking to Christian.

 _Why the hell is he talking to Christian?_

"I know just how stubborn my daughter can be, son." Pause. "Yes… Yes…" My dad says, pausing between words, obviously hearing out what Christian is saying. "I'll offer you this small piece of advice, son. Give her time. You're not going to be able to get through to her now. She's too stubborn to realize what she has in front of her. Give her a few days." Pause. "Yes, she's spending Thanksgiving here." Pause. "I imagine she would be back in Seattle after the weekend." Pause. "Yes, I'll tell her that." Pause. "Have a happy Thanksgiving too, son."

With that, my father hangs up the phone, and without even turning around to face me, he says, "I know you're there, Annie. It's rude to eavesdrop."

"Who were you talking to?" I ask, feigning ignorance.

"I think you already know the answer to that."

"How did he get your number?"

"He didn't." Dad says and finally turns around to face me, and he looks at me with a small smile on his face. "I called Jose to tell him you're here, because your phone just wouldn't stop ringing. He's with Jose and both were worried sick about you."

"I forgot to tell Jose that I was coming here." I lie, and my dad only raises an eyebrow at me. "Ok, I didn't forget. We had an argument yesterday and I didn't want to talk to him just yet."

"For someone who is so mature, you sure can act like a child sometimes, baby girl." He says with a smile, but my mind goes back to what he said earlier.

"Wait a minute; did you say that Christian is with Jose? He's supposed to be in London! He said he won't be coming back until after Thanksgiving!" I gasp.

 _Did he lie to me again?_

"He wasn't, but you turned off your phone and he had to take matters into his own hands. He flew home this morning." Dad says and sits on his favorite chair. "The poor man. He practically snatched the phone away from Jose when he realized that you were here."

"What did he say?" I ask as I move to sit in front of my father.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him, Annie. You need to hear it from him." Dad says and gives me a stern look, one I haven't seen in years. "I will not get involved in your personal matters, baby girl. You're a grown woman and at the end of the day, it's your life. However, I will tell you this, that man is head over heels for you, and if you don't get your head out of your ass soon, you're going to lose someone who could change your life forever."

"But he cheated on me!" I say, feeling my heart break at saying those words.

"Like I said, you need to hear him out. You might feel really stupid after you do, but you still have to hear him out."

"What do you mean?" I ask, and I'm sure my face is an image of confusion.

"Exactly what I said. Now, what are we having for dinner? I miss your cooking, baby girl!" Dad says, effectively changing the subject.

Hearing that, I know my father will not say anything more on the topic, and now my curiosity is eating at me.

 _I'll feel stupid? What the hell?_

"How about lasagna?" I ask after a moment, making my dad's face break out in a huge grin. It's his favorite, and I decide to make a few patches to keep in the freezer for him. I look at the time, and I find that I have enough time to go grocery shopping before dinner.

As I reach for my keys, I decide that my dad is right. I need time, and this weekend will offer me all the time I need. I set my mind to just relax this weekend, and to talk to Christian as soon as I get back. I do a quick check of the groceries available at Dad's home, and make a quick list of what he needs. On my way to the car, I take out my phone and fire a quick text to Christian.

" _I promise to talk when I get back to Seattle. I just need some time."_

By the time I'm sitting behind the wheel, my phone chimes, indicating an incoming text.

" _Of course, just promise to hear me out. Please."_

I feel my heart break a little at the pleading tone of his text. Have I affected him that much?

" _I promise. Talk to you later."_

With that, I put my phone back in my purse and head to the grocery store.

* * *

 **Sunday, Nov. 30** **th** **, 2014**

The weekend gave me the time I needed. Dad helped me keep my mind off things for a while, but I did take the time to think things over. I had resolved to talk to Christian, to hear him out, even if he was going to tell me lame excuses about why he cheated, but I also decided to tell him about my plan and what I had done, even if we decide to go our separate ways.

The thought alone makes my heart clench in my chest.

I also took the time to think about my dad and his new girlfriend. When I think about Sandra, the first word that comes to my mind is _amazing_. She is a wonderful woman, who obviously makes my dad very happy. When I met her, it was obvious just how smitten with my dad she is, and vice versa. I've never seen my dad look at anyone quite the way he looks at her, and it somehow reminded me of the way Christian looks at me.

I even wondered if I look at Christian the same way Sandra looks at my dad.

After talking to her, I learned that she was never married, her daughter being the result of a high school romance. Once her boyfriend at the time found out that she was pregnant, he stepped up, but after going to separate collages, things didn't work out between them. However, he still plays a major role in her daughter's life, even when things didn't work out between them.

Even though I only spent a few hours with Sandra and my dad, I could tell just how in love they were, and it made me doubt everything I ever believed in. That threw me for a completely different loop, and I realized it would take me much more pondering to understand fully.

As soon as I step into my apartment, a loud gasp leaves my lungs as my hand flies to cover my mouth. The entire living room is filled with flower arrangements: roses of different colors, daffodils, carnations, callas, gardenias, lilies, orchids, and even tulips. The apartment smells like a garden, and I can't help but feel tears prick at the back of my eyes.

 _Oh Christian._

He must've had help from Jose. How could he have gotten the flowers inside otherwise? Before I give myself a chance to change my mind, I quickly pull out my phone and dial his number.

"Anastasia…" He breathes my name as soon as he picks up, and I can't help the smile that tugs at my lips.

 _I'm supposed to be angry with him, damn it!_

"I love the flowers." I say by means of hello.

"You're back?"

"Just got in."

"Can I come over? I need to explain things." He says, and for a second, I hesitate.

"You promised to hear me out." He points out, and I let out a small sigh.

"Yes, I did." I say as I walk further into the apartment. I let my fingers gently run over one of the flower arrangements, the gardenias. "I'll hear you out, but I will not promise anything."

"That's all I ask, baby." He says and lets out a breath of relief. "I'll be there in 5 minutes."

Before I have the chance to say anything else, he hangs up. I look around my living room that has magically turned into a flower garden over the weekend, and I quickly check if any of the flowers need a change of water or attention, only to realize that they all have fresh water and the plants have been watered recently.

I barely have time to put my small bag in my bedroom before I hear a knock on my front door, and I take a deep breath before I open it, only to have my breath catch in my throat at the sight in front of me.

Christian looks miserable. It's like he hasn't slept in days. He has bags under his eyes, and he has a beard growing on his face, one that actually looks nice.

"Come in." I say and move to the side, giving him room to walk inside.

"Thank you." He says and stands awkwardly in the middle of my living room, although I have to admit that he does look nice among the flowers.

"It was my mother's voice you heard over the phone the other day." He blurts out, making me freeze mid-step.

 _Straight to the point._

 _Wait, what? His mother?_

"Excuse me?" I ask, not knowing if I should believe him or if he's telling me another lie just to get out of the hole he dug himself.

"My mother." He says and runs his hand through his unkempt hair. "She flew out to London when she found out that I wouldn't be coming back for Thanksgiving. She wanted to surprise me, and she called me when I was in the middle of my business dinner. I took her out for drinks, and we started talking and quite frankly, we lost track of time until you called."

"Oh." I say, not knowing what else to say.

"You have to believe me, Ana." Christian says and looks at me with pleading eyes. "We lost track of time because I was telling her about you. I couldn't stop talking about you and how happy you make me. I've never had such an open and honest conversation with my mother before, and it was like we were taking advantage of the opportunity. I swear I would've called if I had realized how much time had passed, but I didn't."

 _Dad did say that I would feel stupid once I heard him out, and that's exactly how I feel now._

 _Damn it!_

"Oh my God." I groan and hide my face behind my hands. "I'm so stupid."

"No, baby. Don't say that." Christian says and I hear him moving around, but I only feel him in front of me when he grabs my hands and pulls them away from my face. "I would've reacted the same way if I were in your shoes, especially with your history with _the asshole_."

"I'm sorry." I say and look at him, pleading with him with my eyes to forgive me.

"It's ok." He says, and I can't help but reach my hand up and run it against his beard. "I need to shave."

"I like it." I say, and he raises an amused eyebrow at me. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"I haven't." He says with a small shrug, and my eyes grow at his admission. "I couldn't sleep, thinking that I have lost you."

"Oh, Christian!" I gasp, and before I say anything else, I feel his hand grab the back of my neck, and then he pulls me in for a passionate kiss. I can feel him pour all his emotions and feelings into that one kiss, and I can't help but whimper as he pulls my body flush against his, allowing his tongue to sneak into my mouth.

Our tongues battle for dominance as he kisses my doubts away, and I reach out to run my fingers through his hair. I tug at his hair as he deepens the kiss, and next thing I know, he's reaching for the buttons of my shirt.

My mind and body go through a battle of wanting to stop him because I know we need to talk, and craving his touch too much to stop him. In that moment, I realize that I need him just like I need my next breath, but I promised myself to tell him everything, and tell him everything I will.

"Christian, wait." I say and pull away from his kiss, only to have his lips attach to my neck, making me let out a soft moan. "We still need to talk. I need to tell you something."

"Later." Is the only response I get from Christian as he showers my neck with open-mouthed kisses. I'm beginning to feel my resolve disappear, but I gently push him again one more time.

"Baby, we really need to… aah… talk." I say, not able to hold back the moan that escapes mid-sentence.

 _Damn it, he's really good with that mouth of his. I wonder how it would feel to have his mouth against…_

 _Focus, Ana!_

"We will talk, Ana, but right now, I need you." Christian says as he pulls away to look deep into my eyes. "I want you, I need you."

The intensity in his eyes makes all rational thought fly out the window, and I only nod at him. Next thing I know, our clothes are flying as we make our way to the bedroom, and by the time we reach it, Christian is only in boxers and I'm in my bra and panties.

"God, you're beautiful." He says as he runs his fingers against my flesh, and I feel my body break out in goosebumps at his touch. I want to touch him, but I hold myself back, remembering what he told me on our first date.

 _I've only ever touched him over the fabric of his shirt._

"Touch me." He says, his voice barely coming out in a whisper.

"Christian…"

"Touch me, Ana. Please." He pleads with me, and I feel my hand shake as I slowly bring it up to his chest. I notice the small circular scars scattered over his chest, and just before my palm touches his skin, I stop.

 _I don't want to hurt him._

Suddenly, he holds my hand and places my open palm against his chest. He takes in a sharp breath as he does so, and I try to pull my hand back, but he keeps holding it against the strong muscles of his chest.

"Christian…" I say, worried because his eyes are closed shut, and I can feel his whole body tense underneath my touch.

"It doesn't hurt." He says and opens his eyes, and he looks at me with a mixture of emotions that I can't tell where one begins and the other ends. "It doesn't hurt."

Hearing that, I let out a small sigh, and I bring up my other hand and rest it next to the first. I then run my hands up and down his chest, and I feel his breathing become more labored with each touch. Before I realize what is going on, I'm stark naked and lying flat on my bed, with Christian, who is now equally naked, hovering over me. His lips attack my neck again, and I throw my head back at the sensation.

 _Definitely a neck girl._

"God you're beautiful." He whispers again before his hand rests on the swell of my breast, and I can't help but throw my head back and close my eyes at the sensation that one touch brings me.

My whole body feels on fire as Christian's lips latch to one of my hardened nipples, and I can barely recognize the voice that leaves me as his fingers brush against my moist folds. My back arches as he sinks one, then two fingers inside me, all while keeping his other hand of my left breast and his lips on my right.

For long minutes, he tortures me with his fingers and lips, alternating between a quick and a slow pace, and brushing his thumb over my nub between the thrusts of his hand.

I barely register that his lips are no longer on my breast as the all too familiar tingling begins to gather at the pit of my stomach. I feel his breath against my ear before he gently takes my lobe between his teeth and gives it a soft bite, and when his husky voice commands me to let go just as he curls his fingers and brushes against _that_ spot, I have no choice but to oblige, and I see fireworks erupt behind my closed eyelids.

My chest is heaving as I try to catch my breath after the wonderful orgasm he just game me, but something tells me that I won't be able to have a single minute to rest, as he kisses his way from my neck all the way down to where his fingers are still nestled inside me.

I can feel his lips and fingers on every inch of my skins, and his name falls off my lips in a loud moan when his tongue darts and licks me. I can feel his own moans vibrating against my sensitive skin as he continues his ministrations with his torturous tongue, and it doesn't take him long to bring me back to the brink of another orgasm. As he feels me nearing that glorious edge, he pulls his face away, and before I can voice my disappointment, he sinks himself inside me pushing me to my climax with a scream.

"Look at me." He says, and I as I open my eyes, I realize that he hasn't moved from his spot above me. The amount of emotions I see in his gray orbs threaten to overwhelm me, and I lift my head to kiss him to stop the tears that gathered in the back of my eyes from spilling out.

I feel him slide out of me slowly as our tongues battle for dominance in a heated kiss, but he doesn't pick up the pace to mirror the urgency we both fee. The need to breathe eventually forces us to end our kiss, but his lips quickly find their way to my neck again as I wrap my arms around him, needing to feel him close; _closer_.

For what seems like hours, he keeps a slow pace, making love to me rather than simply fucking me. He murmurs words of affection into my ear, and I find that I can't stop the tears from flowing. The emotions I'm feeling are overwhelming me. I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest, and with each thrust of his hips, I feel my heart swell even more.

 _Is this what love feels like?_

"Sssh…" he soothes me as he pulls his head up to look at me. He runs his fingers over my cheek, wiping away my tears in the process, before he places soft kisses at the corners of my eyes, all the while keeping the gentle pace of his love-making. "It'll be ok, baby. I promise."

"Please, Christian." I find myself begging without even knowing what it is I am begging for.

"Tell me what you want."

"You." I say as my breath hitches, feeling my release closing in on me. "I _need_ you."

"You have me." He whispers as he swirls his hips, making mine buck up against him. "You'll always have me."

No more words are said as he continues his delicious torture of my body, and soon, both of us are clutching to each other as waves of pleasure wash over us.

For long minutes, we just lay there next to each other, not uttering a single word as we let the pleasure consume us. After a while, I feel his body relaxing against mine, and his breath evening out, and as I look at him, I find that he has fallen asleep.

I snuggle up against him, wrapping my arm around his waist as I rest my head on his chest, and before I even know it, sleep claims me as well.

I wake up a few hours later because my bladder decided to make its presence known, and I find Christian still sound asleep beside me. I untangle myself from his arms and quickly make my way to the bathroom to relieve myself. Once I make my way back to my bedroom, I look at Christian's peaceful form, and it hits me that this might be the last time I see him like this.

I don't know how he will react when I tell him, but I have to. I will not deceive him more.

Realizing that my mind won't let me go back to sleep, I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of tea. Just as I sit at the kitchen counter to drink my tea, I hear Christian coming out of the bedroom.

"Why are you up?" He asks as he stands there in only his boxers.

"I couldn't go back to sleep." I say, suddenly finding my tea interesting and not taking my eyes off the cup.

"Is everything ok?" He asks, still standing by the kitchen door. "Do you regret what we did?"

"No!" I say as my head snaps up to look at him, and I see his body visibly relax. "I loved what we shared, Christian. It touched me on levels I can't even begin to identify."

"Then what's wrong?" He asks as he takes a step closer to me. I look at him for the longest time, not really knowing how to broach the subject.

 _Rip it off like a band-aid._

"I might be pregnant." I say, and after a long minute of silence, I hear Christian let out a small chuckle.

"I don't know much about biology, but I'm pretty sure things don't work that fast, baby." Christian says, making me take a deep breath, and then I notice him freeze. "We didn't use protection!"

"That's not what I meant." I say and look back at my tea.

"What do you mean?" He asks, his tone taking a dangerous edge.

"I don't know how to explain it." I say, but before I can say anything else, I hear Christian slam his hand against the kitchen counter, making me flinch and look at him in surprise.

"You better find a way to explain it, Anastasia, because to me, it sounds like you're going to tell me that you cheated on me!"

"What? No!" I gasp, then I realize how it must have sounded to him. "No, I didn't cheat. I would never cheat on you. Please, sit down and hear me out."

He looks at me for a long second before he does take a seat across of me, and I take another deep breath.

"I told you on our first date how I don't believe in love and marriage. I've been like this since I can remember. However, what I didn't tell you, is that I've always wanted a family. I've always wanted to become a mother. When I turned 22, my mother had informed me that she had gotten married for the 6th time, and I had just broken up with Paul. That's when I decided that I will not rely on finding someone to make my dream of becoming a mother come true. I set a goal that when I turn 25, I will go through artificial insemination, or IUI, to get pregnant." I say, only pausing to take a deep breath. "I had my first round back in September, but it failed. The day we met was the day I received a negative pregnancy test after my second round. The doctor then told me that I have one last chance before I had to give up for a few months, to let my body rest before I picked it up again. I had my final round last Wednesday."

Christian sits in complete silence as he listens to me, and I can actually see it on his face as he realizes what I just told him.

"Say something." I beg when more than 5 minutes go on in complete silence, and he's not letting any emotion show on his now stoic face.

"I need to go." He finally says and gets up from his seat, making me jump up after him.

"Christian, please." I beg again, but I don't know what else to say.

"I need to go." He says again and makes his way back to my room, picking up his discarded clothes on the way. I follow him, but by the way he quickly gets dresses, I know that he doesn't want to hear anything I have to say.

"Is this it?" I finally ask as he passes by my on his way out of my room. "Are we over?"

Christian stops in his tracks, but doesn't turn around to look at me.

"I don't know." He finally says, and I feel my heart break at his words. "You just threw a curveball at me, Anastasia. You can't expect me to give you a proper reaction now."

"But…"

"I'll call you." He cuts me off and goes to the front door with me closely following behind him. He reaches for the handle, but before he opens the door, he gives me one final look over his shoulder, and with that simple look, I realize that I have done what I never imagined would happen to me.

I have fallen in love with him, and I feel my heart break into a million pieces as he leaves my apartment.

 **A/N: Two chapters in one day! I wanted to post this now since I won't be updating until next week, and I won't have much time to write this week. I do have chapter 8 ready, and going forward from there is going to be easier, I hope.**

 **This is a longer chapter than usual. I could've ended it half-way through, but I didn't want to drag the whole Ana/Christian resolution for another chapter/another week. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm not really a huge fan of ANs, and I really don't like writing ones about reviews, but when I receive a review from someone who hasn't bothered to sign in, this is the only way for me to respond. For the guest who said that she/he chose not to read my other story, I fully respect that, and I actually admire that you took that step. However, you said that you don't understand why I had to be rude in my previous AN. Had you taken the time to read some of the reviews I received for Desires, you would've understood what I was talking about. I just don't understand why it's OK for the trolls to be rude but it's not ok for me to call them out on it.**

 **Also, I always try to respond to every review I receive, but I am fortunate enough to receive many. Between work, RL, and trying to find the time to write, I am not always able to respond to every single review. I hope you consider this as a personal thank you to everyone who is taking the time to read the story and send me their comments or encouragement.**

 **Anyway, this is the first chapter from Christian's POV. I don't know if there will be any other ones from his POV, but until I can decide that, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Christian POV**

 **Monday, Dec. 1** **st** **, 2014**

I let out a loud sigh when the sound of the alarm fills the silence of my bedroom. I haven't been able to sleep for a minute, and the thought of going to the office doesn't sit well with me at the moment.

I know I'm the boss, and I can simply stay home, but the amount of work that needs to be done after having left London suddenly must be staggering. Then again, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to concentrate enough on it to be able to do anything about it anyway.

My mind is still reeling with the bomb Ana threw at me yesterday. I had to leave the apartment after she explained things, simply because I haven't felt the amount of anger I felt then since I was a teenager. I was really afraid that I would say something that would destroy what I have with her.

And to be completely honest with myself, I don't really know what I was angry about. Was I angry at her for not telling me sooner? She couldn't have. We've only been on 2 dates, and one was cut short because I had to take my ass to Boston, then afterwards to London, and I can't imagine discussing a topic as important as this over the phone or even Skype.

Was I angry at her for even going through with it? Maybe, but I can't fault her her logic on the matter. Based on the same reasoning, and given her previous experience and history, she couldn't have been sure that things between us would've ended on a serious note. Not to mention, her thinking that I cheated on her couldn't have swung matters in my favor. I don't know if she had even contemplated cancelling the appointment or not, but what happened while I was still in London would've pushed her towards it more.

Personally, I knew I loved her before we even went out on our first date. After our first date, I knew she was the one for me. I knew that I was going to do everything in my power to make her believe in love, and I knew that one day, she would be my wife.

I feel my mind going on overdrive with all the thoughts jumping off the walls of my skull, and I know that I need to talk to someone about it.

I just don't know who.

I look at the time and see that it's approaching 7 a.m. I resolve to go to the office, knowing that I can't let my personal life affect my work, but I make a mental note to call Jose to have him go check on Ana. I'm sure that she's hurting over what happened, if the look she gave me before I left is anything to go by, but just like she needed time last week, I need time now, and I can't call her before I fully wrap my head around things.

I rub my neck as I walk out of the meeting room, trying to untangle the knots forming at the base of my skull. The time is now 1 p.m., and I haven't had a free minute since I stepped foot in the office. I pull my phone out as I make my way back to my office and quickly dial Jose's number.

"Hello handsome." Jose says as soon as he picks up after the second ring. "I would ask if I had finally managed to bring you to our rainbow side, but I care too much about Ana to steal you from her."

I can't help the laugh that escapes my lips at his words.

"You have a boyfriend, Jose." I state as I move to sit behind my desk.

"Who would love to have you sandwiched between us, handsome." Jose says, and I groan at his non-existent brain-to-mouth filter.

"Have you talked to Ana toady?"

"She didn't come in today. I thought you had worn her out too much yesterday, but judging by your call, I'm going to guess that's not the case."

"She told me." I simply say, and I hear Jose let out a long sigh.

"Before or after you explained about your mother?"

"After." I say and run my hand through my hair. He doesn't need to know that it also happened after I made love to her for the first time.

"And how do you feel about it?" Jose asks, and for a second, I contemplate talking to him about it, then I brush off the idea. He needs to focus on Ana now, not on me. I'll find my own person to talk to.

I'll probably talk to Elliot.

 _Yeah, Elliot sounds like a good idea._

"I don't know how I feel about it yet, but that's not what I'm calling." I say and take a quick look at the rest of my schedule for the day, finding it filled with more meetings. "I need you to go check on her for me. I can't talk to her yet, I need some time, but since she didn't come in today, she must not be feeling ok."

"You love her." Jose states rather than asks, and I find myself nodding, even when he can't see me.

"I knew I loved her that night at the bar." I say, not bothering to deny it.

"She…" Jose begins, but he doesn't finish his sentence. "I'll go check on her now. I'll let you know how things are."

"Thank you." I say before we say our goodbyes and hang up. Looking at the time, I find that I have 5 minutes before my next meeting, so I quickly fire up a text to Elliot.

 _My place tonight. Beer. I need to talk to you about something. C._

My phone dings a second later, alerting me of an incoming text.

 _Is it about Ana? Mom told me what happened in London. E._

I roll my eyes at that. Mom was so excited when I told her about Ana that I knew she would be telling the rest of the family about her. When I received Ana's call, and after I explained why Ana would jump to the assumption of me cheating on her instead of hearing me out, she was really sympathetic about her and worried about how she must be feeling.

To be honest, I was worried she would hate her for assuming the worst about me, but my mother, who has a heart of an angel, encouraged me to take the first flight out and explain things.

 _Love is worth fighting for, my boy._

That's what she told me on our way to the airport that night.

 _Yes, but something else happened, and I need your advice. C._

I reply, and within seconds, I receive another text from Elliot.

 _Will be there. I need to talk to you about Psycho Kate anyway. E._

I roll my eyes again. I really can't understand what my brother sees in her, but I guess we'll be talking about that more today.

Seeing that my plans for tonight are finalized, I put my phone back in my pocket and make my way to me next meeting.

"I need to break up with Kate." My brother says as soon as he walks into my apartment.

"Hello to you to, Elliot. I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?" I ask, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"Seriously, Christian. I'm dating a psycho, and I need to get rid of her." Elliot says as he grabs a bottle of beer that I had waiting out for him. "She's a stage-five clinger!"

"And you just realized that now? Her behavior towards her brother did not raise any red flags?"

"I was in it for the free pussy. That girl is a freak in bed, but even that can't help me tolerate her any longer!" He says and takes a long drag of his beer. "She has a full photo album of our future wedding and how our kids would look like!"

"Oh shit!" I say, a shudder runs through my body at the thought. "Damn man, you're in deep shit!"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Elliot snaps before he throws himself on the couch and rests his head on its back.

"Just stop calling her." I say, and he looks at me as if I had grown a second head.

"Do you really think I haven't thought about that? She knows where I live, she knows where I work; hell, she even knows where our parents live."

"That's what you get for bringing every girl you date into your personal life!"

"Yeah, and only getting sex from escorts is the normal thing to do." Elliot throws at me, and I simply shrug at him.

"Touché."

"Ok, enough about me. I'll figure Kate out on my own." Elliot says and looks at me with worried eyes. "What happened with Ana?"

I let out a sigh, and I feel my heart clench at hearing her name.

"What did mom tell you?" I ask, not knowing where to start and deciding that what happened in London might be a good starting point.

"She said that Ana called you while you were out with mom. I still need to know how you managed to keep mom out that late, by the way. Anyway, she said that Ana heard mom's voice over the phone and she assumed you cheated on her, which is messed up, but that's beside the point. She also said that you dropped everything you had there and came home, but Ana refused to take your calls."

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." I say and run my hand through my hair. "The reason Ana quickly assumed that I had cheated on her is because she had been cheated on before. She dated a guy for 2 years, then one day, she goes home early, and she finds him banging another chick on their bed. Later, she discovered that he cheated on her for a whole year."

"Damn! No wonder she has trust issues."

"That's putting it mildly." I say with a sigh. "But that's not what I needed to talk to you about."

"I'm listening." Elliot says after I go quiet for more than a minute.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, because it's not my story to tell, but you need to know everything in order to understand where Ana is coming from." I say with another sigh. "Ana doesn't believe in love or marriage. Her mother cheated on her father when she was younger, and she then moved on to get married 6 times, I believe."

"Holy shit! I can barely find one woman to think seriously about, and she's managed to get married to 6 different men?" Elliot cuts me off, and I can't help but chuckle at his words.

"I know!" I say before I take a deep breath. "Anyway, having witnessed what happened with her parents, in addition to the asshole who cheated on her, Ana decided that she doesn't believe in love or marriage."

"And she only told you this recently?"

"No. She was actually very forthcoming with her view on the issue. She told me all of this on our first date." I say, making Elliot's eyes grow wide. "I told her then that I would do everything I can to change the way she thinks about love and marriage. However, she did leave out a very important point."

"Which is?" Elliot asks, and I take a deep breath, bracing myself for saying what Ana told me out loud for the first time.

 _Somehow, saying it makes it more real than just going over it in my head._

"When her mother told her that she had gotten married for the 6th time, Ana made a decision that she would get pregnant when she turned 25."

"Oh shit! Did she trap you into knocking her up?" Elliot cuts me off, the horror evident on his face.

"What? No!" I snap. "Let me finish!"

"Sorry. Go on."

"Well, since she doesn't believe in love or marriage, Ana made a plan to get pregnant through artificial insemination. She has always dreamt about being a mother and having her own family, and since she has strong views about having a partner, she decided to take matters into her own hands."

"Oh." Elliot says, and I can hear the cogs turning in his head. "Go on, because I have a million scenario going through my head."

"Well, when we first met, she had already gone through two attempts that failed. She actually received her second negative pregnancy test on the same day we met. Her third attempt was last Wednesday." I say with yet another sigh.

"So, in other words, she might be pregnant with another guy's baby." Elliot says before he finishes his beer in one swig. "I think we need something harder for this conversation, bro."

I only nod at him and call for Mrs. Jones, my housekeeper, to bring us a bottle of scotch and two glasses.

"So, let me get this straight." Elliot begins once he has his glass in his hand. "For the first time in your life, you meet someone who you actually feel attracted to beyond physical attraction; someone who can freely touch you. Only, she doesn't believe in love or marriage, but she still wants to have a family of her own, so she goes through artificial insemination, and now she might be pregnant with someone else's baby, and you don't know how you feel about it. Does that sum it up?"

"Perfectly." I answer and sip on my scotch, letting the amber liquid burn down my throat.

"Judging by the fact that I'm here and we're actually discussing this, then I assume you're not willing to just walk away."

"No." I say and look at Elliot straight in the eye. "I love her."

"Holy shit!" Elliot gasps, genuinely surprised by my admission. "Fuck man! I never thought I would live to see the day where you would be in love! But then again, I never imagined you would have a girlfriend. She must be special."

"She is." I say with a shrug.

"So, how do you feel about this whole situation?"

"I don't know. That's why I needed to talk to you about it." I say and run my hands through my hair again.

"How did you react when she told you?"

"I left." I simply say, making Elliot raise a questioning eyebrow at me. "I was so angry when she told me, Elliot, and I'm telling you, I've never been this angry since I was a teenager."

"Damn!" Elliot says, fully knowing how much anger coursed through my body back in the day.

"Yes, damn."

"What were you angry about?" Elliot asks, and for a second, I feel like I'm talking to a shrink.

 _At least this is cheaper!_

"I'm not sure." I say and take a deep breath. "I was probably angry about the whole situation at the time, but as I thought more about it, I realized that I can't be angry her or for going through with it. I mean, we had only been on two dates, and I had to leave for 2 weeks at the beginning of our relationship. I don't blame her for not putting a plan she's had for years on hold just because she met me. Besides, the misunderstanding we had when I was in London happened a day before her appointment."

"I guess it only reaffirmed her belief in her dream." Elliot said, making me nod at him.

"Exactly. Not to mention, when we Skyped on Tuesday, she said that she had something important she wanted to tell me. I could only guess that she wanted to talk to me about this. Then mom showed up, and I never called her back. You know the rest."

"I see." Elliot says, then he goes silent, I guess going over everything I told him. "You said that you told her you would do everything you can to change the way she thinks about love and marriage. Why did you do that?"

"Honestly?" I ask, only receiving a nod from him. "I really think she's the one for me. My happily ever after."

"Do you still think that?"

"Yes." I say without missing a beat, making Elliot only smile at me.

"There's your answer, bro." Elliot says with a megawatt smile decorating his face.

"What if she's pregnant?" I ask, making Elliot shrug.

"What if she's not?" He asks. "The first two attempts didn't take, so there's a possibility this attempt doesn't either. And if it does, you'll cross that bridge when you reach it. However, I have a feeling it won't be a problem."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Let me ask you this." Elliot says and sips on his scotch. "Say you met Ana a year from now, and she had already gotten pregnant and had the baby. She would be a single mom. Would that stop you from dating her? Loving her? Marrying her?"

"No." I say after a moment of silence, and right at that moment, I realize why I was so angry when she told me.

I wasn't angry because she didn't tell me before hand.

I wasn't angry because she went through with it even though we are dating.

I was angry because if she does end up being pregnant, then I won't be the father of her child.

I was angry because I wasn't the one to knock her up!

"I need to go." I say as I jump to my feet, making Elliot laugh at me.

"Go get your girl back, bro!" Elliot calls back at me as I make my way to the elevator.

 _Yes. I'm going to get my girl back!_

I take a deep breath as I stand in front of Ana's door. I'm nervous, and I don't even know what I'm nervous about. I think I'm a little worried she would shut me down, but then again, I wouldn't blame her.

I walked out on her when she told me, when I should've just talked things over, tried to understand things from her point of view.

I take another breath before I knock on the door. A minute later, the door swings open, only to have Jose stand on the other side.

"Is Ana here?" I ask, not even bothering with pleasantries.

"She's sleeping." Jose says with a sigh and steps aside to let me in.

"Is she ok?"

"Not really." He says as we move to sit in the kitchen, not wanting to disturb her with our voices. "She's been crying nonstop."

"Fuck." I swear and run my hand through my hair. At this rate, I'm going to be bald before the baby even turns two.

 _Shit, where did that thought come from?_

"Why are you here?" Jose asks, making me raise my eyebrow at him. "Listen, I like you, and I know you're great to Ana, but to me, Ana comes first. If you're here to tell her that you can't do this, then I suggest you leave. She doesn't need more heartbreak."

"I know, and I'm not here to break her heart." I say, making Jose's eyes widen in shock. "I think Ana needs to hear this from me first."

"Fair enough." Jose says with a smile. "Want me to wake her up?"

"No, she needs her rest." I say with a hint of a smile tugging at my lips. "How about we have a drink while you tell me stories about Ana's childhood?"

"Oh, I've got the perfect story to make your day!" Jose says as he opens the fridge and pulls out two beers. "Imagine this. It's our senior prom, and Ana decides to go to prom dressed in a suit as my date. I had just came out a few months before that, and to say I was bullied would be the understatement of the century. So, being the amazing person she is, she rents a tux, and goes to prom with me."

"Sounds like she's always had a big heart." I say as I sip on my beer.

"That's not the best part!" Jose says and sips on his own beer. "Halfway through prom, the assholes who tormented me decided to torment Ana as well, but our girl would have nothing of that. One guy walked up to us as we were dancing, and he decided to grope her, saying that since she was dressed like a guy, might as well act as one and just grope around. She kneed him in the balls in the middle of the dance floor. He had to be carried out, he couldn't even walk!"

"That's my girl!" I say and clink my bottle against Jose.

For the next hour, Jose keeps telling me stories about Ana that only make me fall more in love with her, if that was even possible. I feel my heart swell with each story Jose tells me about how supportive she was of him when he came out, and how she volunteered at the local hospital when she was studying. She also volunteered at the local animal shelter when she was in school, wanting to save every animal she could.

I now fully believe that not only my mother has the heart of an angel, but so does Ana. She's going to make an amazing mother, and I vow to myself right then and there that I would be by her side every step of the way.

"I think I need professional help." I hear Ana's voice coming from the hallway as she makes her way towards the kitchen. "I'm starting to hallucinate hearing Christian's voice." She says as she steps into the kitchen, then freezes when she sees me.

"Hey, baby." I say, not really knowing if I should walk to her or stay where I am.

"You're here." She says, as if she's trying to convince herself.

"I'm here." I simply say with a shrug.

"I'll leave you kids alone now." I hear Jose say, but I don't pay him any attention, because I can't take my eyes off Ana. I vaguely hear the door open then close behind Jose, and as if Ana was just waiting to hear that simple sound, she breaks down in tears.

I quickly move to her and wrap my arms around her shaking body.

"Sssh." I say as I pull her to me, resting her head against my chest. "It's ok baby. Everything is going to be ok."

"I thought I lost you." She says between sobs. "I can't lose you."

"You won't lose me, baby." I say as I kiss the crown of her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

"What?" She asks and looks at me, her face an image of shock and confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it means. I'm not going anywhere." I say, and I can't help but think about how beautiful she is, even with puffy eyes and a runny nose. "I love you, Ana." I say, even though I know she will not say it back any time soon. "I love you, I love how strong and independent you are. I love that you have stuck to your dream. I love how you make me feel. I love the affect you have on me. I love that you are the only one who can touch me. I love everything about you, and if you're pregnant, then I'm going to love this baby as if it were my own."

Ana just stares at me with silent tears streaming down her face. For a second, I think I've overwhelmed her with my words, but I had to tell her, she has to know just what an amazing person she is, and how it's impossible for anyone not to love her.

"I love you too." She says as she wipes away her tears, and I'm the one left speechless now.

 _Did I hear that right?_

"Say that again." I beg of her, needing to hear the words again.

"I love you." She says, now smiling at me through her tears. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would actually fall in love, but you proved me wrong, Christian. You made me fall in love with you."

I look at her for the longest time, wanting to commit this moment to my memory. She loves me. This amazing woman loves me, and I couldn't be happier.

I attack her lips with mine, wanting to show her just how much I love her, simply because I don't think there are words eloquent enough to explain the extent of my feelings for her. I kiss her with everything I am, pouring everything I feel in that simple kiss.

She loves me, and right now, nothing else matters in the world.

 **A/N: I wasn't sure if I was ever going to write a chapter from Christian's POV, but I thought it would be needed here, to take a look at how he feels and thinks about the whole situation with Ana, and how he reached the decision he did. The story is gonna be lighter from here onwards, with maybe a little bit of drama further down the road.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Ana POV**

 **Tuesday, Dec. 9** **th** **, 2014**

For the past two weeks, my life has been nothing short of wonderful. That night Christian and I confessed our love for each other, we simply fell asleep in each other's arms. However, the following morning, he showed me how much he loves me with his body, and I was barely able to walk properly when I went to work that day.

As happy as I was that day, my mind kept going through everything I've learned over that long weekend, starting with my dad's admission of being in love again, to realizing that I was in love with Christian, up to him telling me that he loves me. Jose's suggestion of seeing a professional kept nagging at me, and later that day, I opened up to Christian about my desire to see someone. I was worried that he would think less of me, but after everything that has happened between us, I had promised to always be open with him and tell him everything I feel.

That's why I'm sitting at Dr. Flynn's office, waiting for my turn. John Flynn is a friend of Christian's, the two of them having gone to Harvard together, and having stayed in touch even after Christian dropped out. We've had 6 sessions so far over the past two weeks. I had wanted to see him every day, but he suggested 3 times a week to give me time to ponder over everything we talk about during our session.

I'm also waiting for Christian to arrive, because today, we're having a joint session.

Over the course of these two weeks, I have come to terms with the fact that my mother is definitely not the norm in relationships. I have also come to term with the fact that Paul is indeed an asshole who just couldn't keep it in his pants. When we first broached the topic of my ex-boyfriend, and after much digging of the good doctor, I realized that somehow, on a deeper level, I believed it was my fault that Paul cheated on me, because I was never invested in the relationship. Paul and I never confessed our love for each other, and I now realize that _that_ wasn't normal for two people who were in a relationship for two years and lived together for a little over a year.

I have always been an independent woman, never relying on anyone for help. I never asked Paul for gifts, not that he gave me any, mind you. I never asked to be taken to fancy places. I was never jealous of the girls he spent his time with.

Essentially, Paul and I were friends with benefits who lived together.

That realization shocked me, but it also somehow came as a relief. It meant that it really wasn't my fault that Paul cheated on me. He was just an asshole who didn't want to "break up" with a sure lay for someone who might demand more of him later on.

I was confused that Flynn wanted to discuss Paul before discussing my mother. I thought we would discuss my life in chronological order, but he simply told me to trust him.

And I did.

So after we addressed the issue that was Paul, we moved to the topic of my mother, and what I had learned during our sessions discussing her, hurt on a deeper level I never knew came into existence.

According to Flynn, my whole trust issues are basically abandonment issues in disguise. His words, not mine. He says that I'm more afraid of being left alone than I am of being cheated on. When my mother divorced dad and left me with him when I was 5, I was too young to understand anything but the fact that my mother left me. Added to that is the knowledge I got when I was 15, when I learned that she never really fought to get custody of me.

When Flynn asked me how I had found that out, I had to dig deep into my memory to remember the incident. That alone told Flynn that I had suppressed so many of my memories with my mother because on some level, I resented her for leaving me.

Once I was able to remember, I told Flynn all about it. It was my 15th birthday, and I was looking forward for my mom coming over to celebrate my birthday with me. However, she had a lame excuse about her then husband being down with a cold and not being able to come, even though at the time she lived in Seattle. I remember my dad calling her after the small party he had for me was over and all my friends went home, and I remember him yelling at her. I also remember picking up the land-phone that was in the kitchen to listen in to their conversation, and that's was when I heard my mother tell dad that she never really wanted me and that he should stop trying to get her involved in my life.

To this day, my dad doesn't know that I heard that conversation, and after many deep talks with Flynn, I believe that my whole issues about love and marriage started there.

"Hey baby." I hear Christian's voice as he walks into the waiting room of Flynn's office, and I can't help but smile at him.

"Hi sweetie." I say as I stand up to greet him with a kiss. I notice the receptionist shoot me an evil look, and I inwardly count to 10 in my head so that I don't snap her head off.

"How was your day?" Christian asks as he moves to sit beside me on the couch before he wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"Draining." I say as I rest my head on his chest and play with the hem of his suit jacket. "I did the homework that Flynn asked of me."

Ever since our second session, Flynn has given me homework to finish before the next session we had. It was writing down my emotions, trying to remember as many memories of my mother as I could, talking to my dad about my childhood when mom was still with us, talking to Jose -who I have known all my life - to discuss how I've changed over the years and what he doesn't like about me, talking to Christian about how I felt after London and how I felt when I did my final IUI, and his final homework was calling my mother.

"How did that go?" Christian asks as he begins to rub his hand against my arm.

Just as I open my mouth to answer, Flynn's door opens up and he walks out with his patient. I hear the two of them joke about something before Flynn tells him that he'll see him next week, then he turns to look at us.

"Anastasia, Christian. Please come in." Flynn say with a warm smile as he goes back into his office, making Christian and I stand up and follow behind him. As I pass by the receptionist's desk, I see her still glaring at me, and I simply raise an eyebrow at her, silently daring her to do anything.

"How are you feeling today, Anastasia?" Flynn asks as soon as he sits behind his desk, and I roll my eyes.

"I would feel so much better if you would call me Ana." I say and take my usual spot on his couch. Christian chuckles as he sits beside me and quickly takes my hand into his.

"Isn't Anastasia your name?" Flynn asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, it is. But I prefer Ana." I say with a huff. "I've told you that a million times already."

"Yes, but you still haven't told me why you prefer that." He says and relaxes back into his seat and crosses his legs, resting his right ankle on his left knee. He holds his tablet against his leg and looks at me expectantly.

"I feel like I'm in trouble whenever anyone calls me Anastasia." I say, giving him the same excuse I give everyone, and he just raises an eyebrow at me.

"So, it has nothing to do with the fact that your mother is the one who named you." Flynn states rather than asks, and I only give out a sigh in response.

"I did my homework for today." I say after a moment of silence, wanting to avoid the topic of my name.

 _Because he's right about that one, just like he was right about everything else._

I feel Christian squeeze my hand gently in silent support, and I give him a small smile in return.

"How did that go?" Flynn asks, but I know by the tone of his voice that he will not give up on the previous topic.

"Draining." I say, repeating the answer I gave Christian. "She basically told me to pull up my big girl's panties and to stop being dramatic."

"What?" Christian asks, and I can tell that his anger levels are rising.

He's never been a fan of my mother whenever I spoke about her, not that I did much, but whenever the topic came up, mainly because of talking about my sessions with Flynn, he made it clear that he would be happy man if he never met her.

"Care to elaborate more?"

I take a deep breath and simply look at the hand Christian is holding as I remember my phone call with her earlier today.

 _Flashback_

 _I've been looking at my cellphone for the past 30 minutes, trying to summon up the courage to call her. Flynn asked me to talk to my mother before our next session, and since that is happening today, I have to make that dreaded phone call now._

 _Taking a deep breath for what seemed like a millionth time, I finally press dial and hold the phone against my ear._

 _I'm silently praying that she doesn't pick up, or that she has changed her number and didn't bother giving me the new one._

 _However, my prayers go unanswered when I hear her voice coming from the other end of the line after the third ring._

" _Hello?" She asks, either not having bothered to look at the screen or not having my number saved on her phone._

" _Hello, mother." I say, my voice almost coming out in a whisper._

 _Why do I feel like a little girl all over again?_

" _Anastasia. What a wonderful surprise!" My mother says, and I can hear the fakeness of her enthusiasm over the phone. "How are you darling?"_

" _I'm good. You?" I ask, trying to keep a polite conversation for as long as I can._

 _She's still my elder, and I should respect her regardless._

" _Oh I'm great. Jackson and I just bought this new house in the Hamptons. You really should stop by sometime. You'll love it here." She says and I roll my eyes. That's all she cares about, money and appearances. "Maybe you'll even meet someone from New York's elite."_

" _I've already met someone." I say, but I leave out the fact that the someone I met is_ the _Christian Grey. The last thing I need is her suddenly deciding that she's my mom and she wants to be part of my life. "But that is not what I'm calling you for."_

" _Oh, what is it, dear? I do want to know about your guy though. I hope it's not some random author you've met at work. You really should quit and focus on your social status, Anastasia. You're friends with Katherine Kavanaugh. She can string you up with Seattle's elite."_

" _Mother, Kate and I haven't been friends in years." I say. You would know that if you stayed in touch, I silently add in my head. "I need to ask you something."_

" _What is it, sweetheart? If you need financial help I can ask Jackson to wire you some money. You know he loves you like a daughter."_

 _I let out a loud groan and her constant interruption and assumptions._

" _Did you ever try to get custody of me when you divorced dad or did you just give me up, no strings attached?"_

" _First of all, Ray is not your dad. Frank, may his soul rest in peace, was your father. Ray simply adopted you when we got married. How many times do I have to tell you this?" She says, and I can tell that she's seriously annoyed with me at the moment. "Secondly, where is this coming from? You've been living with Ray for the past 20 years. Why are you asking about this now?"_

" _I need to know."_

" _Well, it's better to leave the past where it belongs, Anastasia. There's no need to dig up old issues."_

" _Yes there is, mother." I say and let out a loud sigh. "Did you, or did you not, simply give me up for Ray? Did you even want me?"_

" _Stop this nonsense right this minute, Anastasia!" My mother now snaps. "I cannot believe you! I did not want to uproot you from the life you were used to, and now you accuse me of giving you up?"_

" _So, on my 15_ _th_ _birthday, when you told dad that you never wanted me and that he should stop trying to get you involved in my life, you were lying?" I ask bitterly, my anger getting the best of me._

" _Oh my God, did he tell you that? I swear to God…"_

" _Dad never told me anything. I heard you." I say, cutting her off before she had the chance to lie more. "I picked up the phone in the other room and heard your entire conversation, mother."_

" _Stop being dramatic, Anastasia. That happened 10 years ago." She now says, not bothering to defend herself._

" _You really didn't want me." I gasp, realization downing on me like a bucket of ice-water._

" _I never wanted to be a mother in the first place, but when I got pregnant, Frank down right refused the abortion I suggested." She says calmly, as if it is the most normal thing in the world to tell your child that you wanted to abort them. "I would've taken matters in my own hands, but Frank threatened to leave me if I did, and I loved him too much to lose him."_

" _Do you even know what love is?" I hear myself ask before even realizing the words left my mouth. "Or do you simply love yourself too much that it's more than enough for you?"_

" _Love is for fools, my dear." She says, and I can't control the gasp that leaves my mouth. "Giving you up to Ray was the best thing for you, Anastasia. I would have never been able to be a good mother to you. Ray was the best choice."_

" _Yes, he was, because he loved me enough for the both of you." I say, my voice dripping with venom. "Do you even know what affect you've had on my life with your actions? Up until recently, I never believed in love. I still have my doubts about marriage, because you jump from one husband to the next. Are you still on your 7_ _th_ _marriage, mother, or have you met husband number 8 yet?"_

" _Grow up, Anastasia." My mother snaps. "There's no such thing as love. This guy you met better be rich, and you better not get pregnant any time soon, if at all. Children will ruin your life. You will lose yourself raising them. You should only focus on yourself and making your husband happy. And when you get married, you better not sign a prenup or you will end up on your ass when you get divorced, and believe me, you will. Everyone does. You are not that special to be an exception."_

 _By now, I have tears streaming down my face as I hear the venom dropping from her voice._

" _Goodbye, Carla." I finally say when I manage to get my bearings together. "I would say it was nice talking to you, but I would be lying. My daddy taught me that it was rude to lie."_

" _Anastasia…" She begins, but I hang up before she has the chance to say anything more._

 _I then throw my phone down on my desk and break down in open sobs._

 _End flashback_

"Wow." Flynn says after a long moment of silence, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline. Christian, on the other hand, is now pacing the room, muttering a string of curses under his breath, while I'm wiping away the silent tears that have managed to fall at the fresh memory of my talk with Carla.

"Is it ok for me to say that I hate her?" I ask before Flynn has the chance to ask me how I feel about things.

"Do you?" He asks as he gives me a sympathetic look.

"Yes." I say, my voice coming out small.

"Hate is a big word, Ana." Flynn says, calling me by my preferred name for the first time.

"Of course she hates her." Christian says, speaking up for the first time. "Wouldn't you hate that lame excuse of a mother? I swear to God, if I ever meet her, I could kill her with my bare hands!"

"Christian, I'm sure Ana appreciates your passion about the situation, but this is about her and her feelings." Flynn says, scolding Christian with his eyes. "Please sit down."

I reach my hand out for Christian to hold, and once he looks at me, I plead with him with my eyes, silently telling him that I just need him beside me. Before I can even blink, I feel his arms wrap around me as he kisses the top of my head.

"I'm sorry I went off the handle there, baby." Christian says with another kiss to my forehead.

"It's ok." I say with a weak smile before I look back at Flynn. "To answer your question. Yes, I know that hate is a big word, but it's the only word I can use to describe how I feel about her right now. It might be because our conversation is still fresh in my mind, but I'm pretty sure that I will not be calling her again for a friendly talk any time soon."

"Understandable." Flynn says with a nod. "We can discuss this more during our next session, but right now, I want to talk about why I asked Christian to join us today. Had I expected your phone call to go this way, I would've postponed the joint session for next week. However, he's here now. Besides, I think you could use the break from talking about your mother."

"Thank you." I say, grateful for the space he's offering me.

"So, you mentioned that you should be doing a blood test tomorrow, for the pregnancy." Flynn says as he goes over his notes from previous sessions. "How do you guys feel about that?"

"Excited." We both say at the same time, and I can't help but look at Christian with nothing but love in my eyes.

"Christian, I need to ask you this, and I need you to be completely honest with me." Flynn asks as he looks at Christian, who only nods at him. "How do you feel about the fact that Ana might be carrying a baby that's not yours?"

"I was angry when she first told me." Christian says, and I slightly shrink back in my seat, but he just holds my hand and brings it up to his lips for a kiss. "But as I thought more about it, I realized that I was angry because I want to be the one who makes her dreams come true. I really don't care what a piece of DNA says, if the test comes back positive tomorrow, this baby might as well be mine biologically, because I will treat him or her like my own."

I feel the tears gather behind my eyelids again, and I wipe away a traitor tear that managed to escape.

Each day, I think that it's not possible for him to make me love him more, and each day, he proves me wrong.

"And if the test comes back negative?" Flynn asks, and we both look at him with wide eyes. We never really considered the possibility.

 _Shit!_

"You haven't thought about that, have you, kids?" Flynn tries to joke, but neither one of us as much as smiles back at him.

"You need to think about that, and you need to think about what you will do if it does." Flynn says. "Ana, you said that if your last IUI didn't take, that it would be your final attempt for a while, correct?"

I only nod at him, not able to find my voice.

"If the test does turn out negative, will you still try to get pregnant on your own after your body has rested enough?"

"No." I say without missing a beat.

"Why not?" Flynn asks, and I look at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Because I have Christian." I answer, and the look that Flynn gives me tell me to explain further. I take a moment to think more about my answer, before I look at Christian as I speak. "If the test turns out to be negative tomorrow, I think I would like to wait until we're further down in our relationship before we start a family."

"Does that mean that you regret going through the procedure now?" Flynn asks, and I can almost swear there's a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"What? NO!" I gasp. "I regret not telling Christian earlier, but we both understand that the circumstances did not allow for that to happen. However, I do not regret sticking to my dream, even though it was based on wrong beliefs. I now believe in love, and I know that I am in love with the most amazing man in the world, and I would love to start a family with him, but since this is the first real relationship for the both of us, maybe we should wait a little bit before we start our own family. If the test turns out negative."

"What if things between you two don't work out?"

"They will!" Both Christian and I snap at Flynn, making him just smile at us. He doesn't say anything more about it.

"That's our time for today, Ana." Flynn says, and I notice that he hasn't called me Anastasia since I told him what happened with Carla. "I'll see you Sunday, same time."

"Of course." I say as Christian and I get up. We both shake Flynn's hand before we make our way out of the office.

"My place or yours tonight?" Christian asks as we wait for the elevator.

"Yours." I say with a dreamy sigh. I just love his bed. It feels like I'm sleeping on clouds.

The first time I saw his apartment, I was so impressed I remained speechless for 15 minutes. The place is so huge, beautiful, and serene, just like the man living there. I personally loved his kitchen, but I still have to use it. He won't allow me to do anything around his house.

"I'm starting to believe you're with me for my bed, woman!" Christian says, and I look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You're only realizing that now?" I say as I pat his chest softly. "And I thought you were the smart one in this relationship."

Christian lets out a small chuckle with a shake of his head as we step into the elevator, and just like the first time we met, the electricity in the air thickens as soon as the doors close.

"What is it about elevators?" Christian asks under his breath, but I'm too affected by his proximity that I can't even form a coherent answer.

The ride downstairs is fast, and we both step out into the parking lot. Once Christian sees my car, he lets out a loud groan.

"One day, I'm going to get rid of that piece of junk and tell you that it was stolen." Christian says as he walks me to my car.

"Don't diss my car, Grey!" I say, repeating the same words I told him the first time he saw it, and the same words I say whenever he sees it again.

"It's a death-trap!"

"It takes me from point A to point B." I say as I unlock it. "That's all I ask for right now."

"You really are an infuriating woman." He says before he pushes me against the door and gives me a long, passionate kiss. "And I love you more than anything in the world."

"I love you too." I say and gently rub my fingers through his hair. "I'll meet you there in an hour. I just need to go home and grab an overnight bag."

"I'll be waiting for you." He says, and I can see that he wants to comment further on me going home, but he holds himself back.

With that, I climb in my car and watch as Christian walks to his, where Taylor is already waiting for him.

He's been asking me to leave more of my stuff at his place, so that it would be easier to just crash their at short notice without having to plan everything, or having to wake up at the crack of dawn to go back home and get ready for work. Well, he ended up asking me nicely for that after I threw a fit when he asked about my size. Apparently, he was planning to buy me a whole wardrobe to keep at his place.

When I heard him say that, I panicked. It felt overwhelming, and it reminded me of when Paul and I had moved in together. At the time, I had only had two sessions with Flynn, and I wasn't as in control of my emotions and thoughts as I am now.

Now as I think about it, I think I might grab more than just an overnight bag. Maybe I'll grab a few outfits to keep there and some toiletries. I wonder if he still wants me to do that, though. What if he changed his mind?

I take a deep breath to calm myself down, and decide to just go ahead with it. What's the worse that could happen?

 _He could tell you that he doesn't want you there anymore._

 _No, he won't. Christian loves me, and it was originally his idea._

 _Yeah, well, he could've changed his mind. You're not the most emotionally stable woman out there, you know?_

I shake my head at the voice taunting me in my head, and I just make my way to my apartment. Once I'm there, I go ahead and pack 4 outfits for work, as well as a couple of jeans and casual shirts, some underwear, and my essential toiletries.

It takes me a little under an a hour to park my car at the spot Christian designated for me beside his Spyder, and I roll my eyes at the sight of my old car next to his. I think he's done this intentionally, to make me seriously consider buying a new one.

I will have to once I know if I'm pregnant or not. My car is not suitable for a baby, nor is it safe for a pregnant woman to drive.

But I guess it's still too soon to think about that now.

We still have a few hours before we find out.

As I get out of my car, I decide to leave my bag there. The bag I have with me is much bigger than an overnight bag, and I don't want to shock him when he sees it.

Besides, I want to be able to ask him about it first before I just show up carrying my things.

5 minutes later, the elevator doors open up, and I step into Christian's huge apartment. I still can't wrap my head around why one person would want such a huge space, but I guess with his old lifestyle, and his love of privacy, this was the best choice.

It's not like he can't afford it.

"Hey baby." Christian says as he gets up from where he was sitting on the couch. He looks edible right now, wearing a pair of faded ripped jeans and a tight black t-shirt that accentuates his muscles. "Where are your things?"

"Huh?" I ask, not hearing what he said since my mind was imagining all the things I would do to him once I had him in the bedroom.

"Your things." He says, and I notice a frown marring his handsome face. "Did you change your mind?"

"No, I didn't." I say and walk up to him before I wrap my arms around his neck. "They're in the car, but I wanted to ask you something before I went down to get them."

"I'll have Taylor get them for you." Christian says as he nuzzles my neck with his face.

"Do you still want me to keep a few things here?" I ask, and he freezes his movements. For a minute, I think I've overstepped my boundaries, but then he pulls back and looks at me with a megawatt smile.

"Baby, if it were up to me, I'd have you moved in before you could take your next breath, but we agreed to take it slow." He says and places a soft peck on my lips. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I kinda brought more stuff than I would need for an overnight stay." I say with a small shrug. "I wasn't sure if you still wanted me to do that, that's why I kept them in the car."

"Taylor!" Christian yells, and I have to hold back my giggle at his enthusiasm. It only takes Taylor a second before he joins us, and I still have to figure out where he hides to be able to do that as quickly as he does. "Ana's bag is in her car. Have someone bring it up and put it in my room, then have Gail unpack her things."

"No, I'll do that." I say sternly. Christian knows how I feel about being waited on, and he is still getting used to the idea of me doing my own things.

"Fine." Christian says with a soft smile, not taking his eyes off mine. "Just bring her bag up, Taylor."

"Yes, sir." Taylor says before he disappears again.

"Dinner is ready." He says as he goes back to nuzzling my neck.

"Can I freshen up first? I would like to change and take a shower." I say, barely able to manage a full sentence.

"Can I join you?" He asks between the kisses he's placing against my collar bone.

"Do you really need to ask?" I ask, and as soon as I finish my sentence, I let out a loud squeal because Christian has picked me up and is now walking towards his bedroom with me in his arms.

A loud giggle leaves my mouth before I snuggle up against his chest, feeling nothing but complete happiness engulf me. I feel safe in his arms, the safest I've ever felt with a man besides my father and Jose, and I vow to myself, that no matter what happens, I will not let anything come between us.

Not even myself.

* * *

 **Wednesday, Dec. 10** **th** **, 2014**

I'm tapping my foot nervously as I wait in Christian's office for him to finish his meeting. We stopped by a lab on the way to work this morning to get my pregnancy test done, and they said that they would have the results ready in two hours. They said they could call me back, but Christian and I decided to have Taylor pick up the results and bring them to his office, where I would be joining him to read the results together.

So here I am, waiting for Taylor to come back and waiting for Christian to finish his meeting.

Dr. Greene said that it would probably be more accurate to do a blood test around this time, because a home pregnancy test could give a false negative result at this early stage. We could've waited a few more days, but both Christian and I were too nervous and excited to wait.

I just hope that the test results don't change things between us.

On more than one occasion, Christian has assured me that regardless of the results, he's in it for the long haul. I'm choosing not to dwell on what he means by that, simply because I want to deal with things one at a time, but I still can't help but feel a hint of a worry that he would not accept the pregnancy.

If I am pregnant in the first place.

 _Shit, I need to talk to Flynn._

 _Maybe I should call him. No. Later. I don't know._

The sound of the door opening grabs my attention, and in walks Christian, wearing a navy blue suit with a white shirt underneath and a grey tie around his neck. He looks stressed, and I wonder if it's because of his meeting or because of the wait for the results.

"Hey baby." I say, and as soon as he hears my voice, his face breaks into a smile, making me smile in return.

"I'm sorry baby, but my meeting ran longer than I expected." He says and moves to sit beside me. I notice then that I'm sitting in the same spot I filled on the first time I was in his office, and I smile at the memory. "Taylor just called, he's 5 minutes away."

"Did he tell you anything?" I stupidly ask, but I already know the answer to that question. "Never mind. That was silly of me."

"Are you nervous?" He asks as he runs his fingers against my arm.

"Yes." I admit with a sigh. "You?"

"A little bit." He says with his own sigh. "I'm about to find out if I'm going to be a father or not. I guess any man would be nervous, right?"

"I guess so." I say, my heart swelling at his words. "But are you sure you want to do this? I know I should've told you about this sooner, and I can't apologize enough for not doing so, but you never asked for this, Christian."

"I asked for you." Christian says, and I feel my heart swell even more. "I love you, Ana, and I will spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much. Yes, I wish you had told me about your plan sooner, but we both understand why that never happened. We can't keep dwelling on the _what ifs_. I told you this, and I will keep saying it until you fully believe it. If you are pregnant, then this baby is mine as much as it is yours." He says as he places a kiss on my lips. "And one day down the road, both you and the baby will be Greys, and we'll give him or her more siblings to play with."

I feel a tear escape my eye at his beautiful words, and just as I am about to kiss him, we hear a knock on the door before it opens and Taylor walks in, holding a small envelope in his hands.

"Sir, I have the results here with me." Taylor says as he hands Christian the envelope, then discreetly leaves the room.

Christian and I stare at the white paper holding the results, and we somehow can't bring ourselves to open it.

"Do you want to open it?" He asks as he moves to give it to me, but I simply shake my head.

"Could you do it, please?" I ask, and he just nods before he gently opens the envelope and pulls out the paper inside. I can't bring myself to look at the test results, so I keep my eyes fixed on Christian's face, and I see his eyes quickly skim over it.

Then suddenly, everything happens as if it were in slow motion. Christian looks up at me with a soft smile on his face, before that smile turns into a grin, then he pulls me to him and crashes his lips against mine.

"Congratulations, baby." He whispers once he breaks the kiss. "We're going to be parents."

"What?" I ask, not believing what I heard. I snatch the paper that has now fallen on the floor, and I look at the results myself.

And right there in front of me, in black and white, it says: _**evidence of pregnancy – positive.**_

"Oh my God." I gaps, my hand flying to cover my mouth. "It worked. I'm pregnant!"

"You're pregnant." Christian whispers before he wraps his arms around me and kisses me again, this time slowly, as if to reassure me that he's not going anywhere.

"I love you." I gasp against his lips. "I love you so much."

"I love you more." He says as he moves his lips to my neck. I feel his hands move to the front of my shirt as he begins to undo the buttons, and I arch my back, bringing myself closer to his touch. As he slides my shirt over my shoulders, I move my hands to the front of his pants and do a quick work of releasing his now very hard dick, and I stroke him softly as he exposes my breast and starts sucking on my nipple.

"I need you." I moan as his fingers start working on ridding me of my own pants.

"You have me." He whispers as he now pulls down my pants along with my panties. Once he reaches my ankles, he takes off my shoes and slides off my pants, leaving me naked from the waist down.

Suddenly, he sits back in his seat and pushes his own pants and boxers down, making them gather around her ankles in a pool, then he pulls me over him so that I'm straddling his thighs.

"I'm all yours baby. Take me whichever way you want." He whispers as he goes back to sucking on my nipple. I position myself above him, then I sink slowly over his hard shaft, making the both of us let out loud moans at the sensation.

I pause in my place for a second, wanting to savor the feeling of him filling me so completely, then I start moving when he whispers for me to do so. At that moment, I couldn't bring myself to fuck him even if I wanted to. I move slowly against him, rising my hips then falling down against him in rhythmic moves, each of my strokes slow and deliberate.

I make love to him, hoping that I'm able to show him just how much he means to me with my actions. I run my fingers through his hair, gently tugging at the soft curls at the nape of his neck, as I pull him closer to me, gently resting his head against my chest. I then move my face down to meet his, and our lips connect in a passionate kiss, one that intensifies as I feel myself approaching my release.

Before I even know what happens, I feel my whole body go rigid, and I explode around him, softly calling out his name. My body falls limp against his soon after, and I suddenly feel him flip me over so that I'm lying across the couch, and he continues making love to me. He doesn't speed up his thrusts, nor does he allow me to recover, as he rubs small circles around my clit, obviously wanting me to cum again.

I throw my head back in pleasure, feeling each of his thrusts deep in me. As I feel myself approach another orgasm, he commands me to open my eyes, and I do, looking deep into his.

The intense look I see in his eyes throws me over the edge, and soon he follows me, calling out my name as he empties himself inside me. He then moves me to the inside of the couch, before he wraps his arms around me and rests his head over my chest, while one of his hands rests over my flat stomach.

I feel him run his fingers over where I now know to be growing a life, then he kisses my temple softly.

"I love you." He whispers against my ear. "Both of you."

I let out a small sigh of content, happy to be cocooned in his arms, just the three of us.

Our perfect little family.

 **A/N: So, Flynn is here! I played around with the character so that he would fit more into my story. Now, I have no idea how psychologists work as I've never seen one nor do I personally know one. For purposes of this story, which is merely fiction, Ana will not be receiving intense treatment and will be able to identify her issues and work on them quickly.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Christian POV**

 **Wednesday, Dec. 24** **th** **, 2014**

I'm tapping my foot nervously as I wait for Ana to get ready. We're going for her first prenatal check today, then we're flying out to Montesano to spend Christmas Eve with her father; meaning, I'm going to meet him for the first time today.

I've spoken to him over the phone a couple of times, and he seems like a decent man. However, he is a _military_ man, and I am sleeping with his daughter.

We're telling him today that Ana is pregnant. I know he knows that technically, I'm not the one who got Ana pregnant, but the thought is still nerve wrecking.

Nevertheless, meeting Ray is not the only reason I'm nervous. Ana has been throwing up nonstop lately, and I'm worried that it's more than morning sickness. It suddenly hit her a week after we found out she's pregnant, and until it happened, we had thought that she was one of the lucky women who don't get morning sickness.

 _I guess we jinxed it._

Whoever called it morning sickness should really be sued. It has nothing to do with morning, because if Ana as much as smells something that upsets her, she runs to the nearest bathroom, trash can, or even flower bush, and throws up everything she ate. It could happen any time, and we can't even predict what could trigger it.

I was really happy when Ana told me that her doctor is Dr. Greene. She's a friend of my mother's and I've known her for as long as I can remember. I guess she might be surprised to see me with Ana today.

I jump to my feet when I hear Ana getting sick in the bathroom, and I run to our bedroom, only to find her holding the trashcan by the bed and hurling into it.

 _I guess she couldn't even make it to the bathroom in time._

"It's ok, baby." I say as I hold her head back and rub circles against her back. "I wish there was anything I can do to help."

Ana just groans and she continues to get sick, then suddenly she starts pushing me to get away from her. I frown as I let go of her hair and take a step back. Once she finally stops throwing up, she takes a deep breath and wipes her mouth with a tissue.

"I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time." She says and closes her eyes. I take the trashcan from her and place it outside of the room, because the smell of vomit can push her into another fit of throwing up.

"What happened?" I ask as I take a step towards her, but she just holds her hand up to stop me, and I can't help but feel hurt at the gesture.

"It's your cologne." She says, and I raise my eyebrow at her. "I was collecting the dirty laundry, and I just held your shirt and took a sniff, because I _usually_ love the way you smell."

"Oh." I say, and I honestly don't know what I can do about that.

"Do you mind taking a shower?" She asks, and I quickly look at the bedside clock. "I don't want to be throwing up all the way to the Doctor's, then all the way to Montesano."

 _Good. I have time for a quick shower._

"Sure, baby." I say as I begin taking off my clothes. "I'll be out in 5 minutes."

"Thank you." She calls at me, but I'm already in the bathroom, turning the water on and getting the rest of my clothes off. I make sure to use the scentless shower gel she got a few days ago because she couldn't handle the smell of hers anymore, and true to my word, I emerge from the bathroom 5 minutes later.

I find Ana already dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater. Apparently, Christmas Eve at the Steele residence is a very casual occasion. That is why we will be coming back home to change into more formal attire to join my parents for Christmas dinner tomorrow.

If I thought I was nervous about meeting Ray, Ana is feeling ten times worse about meeting my family, and no matter how much I try to assure her that they will love her, she still won't believe me.

"I used some of your shower gel." I say as I pull out a pair of jeans and a sweater for myself.

"Thank you." She says with a sweet smile as I get dressed, then she rests her head back on the bed and closes her eyes for a while.

I keep my eyes fixed on her as I get dressed, and I can't help but feel the worry increase in the pit of my stomach. She's paler than she usually is, and she has dark circles under her eyes. I know that she's also losing weight, but she keeps saying that it's not the case.

How can she think otherwise when nothing she eats stays down, is beyond me.

"Ready." I say once I'm fully dressed, and she opens her eyes. I see her eyes roam my body, and the hunger in them makes my cock stir to life.

I was loving the crazy pregnancy hormones, because it meant that we were having more sex than I ever imagined possible. However, two days ago, she started getting too tired for even a make-out session.

She says that it's normal, but I don't believe her, and if her doctor says it is, I'm going to try and convince her to seek a second opinion.

"Let's go." She says and stand up, and then she sways a little on her feet, making me rush to grab her.

"Maybe we shouldn't go to Montesano, baby." I say, but I already know what she's going to say about that.

"No!" She says, her voice not leaving room for discussion. "We will be spending Christmas Eve with dad and Sandra."

"Ok, ok!" I say, knowing that unless the doctor says otherwise, we will be on our way to Montesano within two hours.

I had already contacted Stephen, my pilot, and asked him to have Charlie Tango ready at the top of Escala. I will be flying us there, and I have already talked to Ray about landing in Sandra's backyard.

Apparently, Sandra has a huge property, and it was previously used to land emergency helicopters before the local hospital established its own helipad.

I help Ana to the elevator, and all the way until we reach the car, my mind is going on overdrive with what the doctor could tell us about her situation.

Taylor is already waiting for us by the car, and he gives me a worried look when he sees Ana. I simply shake my head at him, because I really don't know what to tell him if he asks.

"Merry Christmas, Taylor." Ana says once we're in the car, and she's obviously trying to make her voice sound stronger than it actually is.

"Merry Christmas, Ana." Taylor says, and again, he throws me a worried look through the rearview mirror. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." She says, making both Taylor and I raise questioning eyebrows at her. "I am good, because being this tired means the baby is growing the way they should. It's part of being a mother, my body is making a human being."

"Was your wife this tired when she was pregnant?" I ask Taylor, and he shrugs.

"I wouldn't know, sir. I was deployed during her pregnancy." Taylor says then he concentrates back on the road.

"I didn't know you have a kid or that you are married." Ana says. I guess she's trying to keep herself busy because she might end up vomiting again if she looks through the window.

The first time it happened, I barely managed to park on time before she ran out and threw up in the nearest flower-bush. That's why I have a stash of airplane quality motion-sickness bags stashed in every one of my cars.

"Divorced." Taylor says. "And my daughter is turning 8 next month."

"Are you going to be spending Christmas with her?" She asks, and I give out an internal sigh.

"Unfortunately not." Taylor says, making Ana let out a gasp. "Her mother has her for Christmas and I have her for Easter. I did send her many gifts, though."

"So did I." I say, making Ana beam up at me.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've sent her gifts as well." Ana says, and I see Taylor smile.

"I wrote both our names on the cards." I say and kiss her temple. "We're almost there."

Ana doesn't look out the window. She just rests her head against my chest and takes in a deep breath, then suddenly she pulls away with her hand over her mouth, and I quickly grab one of the bags and hold it to her.

 _I didn't use any cologne for God's sake!_

Ana stops throwing up by the time Taylor parks in front of Dr. Greene's practice, and he hands me a small water bottle to give Ana.

"Here you go, baby." I say and open the bottle before giving it to her.

"Thank you." She says, but she doesn't drink the water until we step out of the car. I help her up when she sways on her feet again, and she points towards the trashcan at the corner of the building. Once we reach it, she takes a quick sip, gurgles, then spits out the water in the can. She then takes a few small sips, and lets out a sigh when the water doesn't come back up.

"We shouldn't take longer than an hour, Taylor." I say, not taking my eyes off Ana.

"I'll be right here, sir." Taylor says, but I barely pay him any attention as I help Ana inside the building. I'm praying that we don't wait long, and my prayers are quickly answered, because as soon as the registration nurse takes one look at Ana, she ushers us into an examination room, even though there are 4 other women sitting in the waiting room.

"How have you been feeling, Ana?" The nurse asks, and I raise my eyebrow at the familiar way she addresses Ana. I help Ana up on the screening bed, and she quickly rests her head back.

"I've been better." Ana finally admits, for once giving an answer other than 'good'. "But I read that it's normal to be tired during the first trimester."

"Just how tired have you been?" The nurse asks, and looking at her nametag, I learn her name is Laura.

"Tired." Ana simply says, and I let out a loud groan.

"Baby, don't downplay things. You have to let her know how you've been really feeling. I don't think it's normal for you to throw up more than 10 times a day and have times when you can barely lift your head from the pillow." I say, making Ana shoot me a deadly look.

"10 times?" Laura asks and writes something down on the chart I just realized she's holding. "Have you told Dr. Greene about it?"

"I haven't talked to Dr. Greene since before I found out I was pregnant." Ana says and closes her eyes. "I only spoke to Suzan to make the appointment for today."

"Ok." Laura says with a small nod, but I don't like the look on her face. She seems worried, and it's never a good sign when the nurse is worried. "I'm going to take your blood pressure now, and I will need you to get on the scale for a minute."

"Ok." Ana says, and I quickly help her up so that Laura can take her blood pressure. A few minutes later, I see Laura's frown deepening as she writes down the results on the chart, and I have to bite my tongue so that I don't snap at her.

"Have you been feeling dizzy?" Laura asks, and Ana actually looks ashamed for a second.

"Ana?" I ask, feeling my anger bubbling. I count to 10 then count backwards to 1, twice. I then take a deep breath.

"Yes." She admits, her voice coming out small. "I felt like I was going to faint at work yesterday, but then I got better."

"Damn it, Ana!" I snap. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's normal." Ana says with a shrug.

"Not it's not!" Laura and I say at the same time, but Ana looks at Laura with wide eyes.

 _I guess she's more likely to believe the one with a medical background._

"Your blood pressure is lower than normal, Ana." Laura says and asks me to help Ana to the scale. Once I do, she looks at Ana's numbers and her frown deepens.

"You've also lost weight." She says, and now Ana has tears in her eyes.

"Is the baby going to be ok?" Ana asks, and I feel like I jerk for snapping at her.

"I'm sure the baby is going to be fine." Laura says with a sweet smile. "Why don't you remove your pants and underwear, and put on the paper robe. I'll make sure Dr. Greene comes to see you first."

"Thank you." I say, and with that, Laura leaves us alone in the examination room. I help Ana remove her clothes then put on the blue paper robe, before I help her back up on the bed. We stay quiet for a few minutes, with me running my fingers through her hair, until Dr. Greene rushes into the room, a look of apprehension on her face.

"Jesus Christ, Ana." Dr. Greene says, as she looks over the chart that she obviously took from Laura. "Why haven't you called me? Your blood pressure is 98/60, and you've lost 5 pounds!"

Ana only whimpers at hearing what the Doctor says, and I shoot her an angry look.

 _Bedside manners much?_

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you dear." Dr. Greene says after she gives me a dirty look of her own. "I'm going to check over your baby now, and I can promise you that everything with him or her is going to be ok."

"How can you be so sure?" Ana ask, her voice barely coming out in a whisper as the tears threaten to fall from her eyes.

"I've been doing this for many years, sweetheart." Dr. Greene says as she rolls over the ultrasound device. She pulls a probe that looks like an alien tentacle, and I cringe when I realize she will be putting that inside Ana. She instructs Ana to put her feet up in the stirrups, and then she puts a condom over the device before she pushes it inside Ana.

"I know it's uncomfortable, but we'll be done in a minute." Dr. Greene says as she looks at the big screen mounted on the TV in front of the bed.

 _How did I not notice this before?_

For a few long seconds, the room is deadly silent, then the voice of what sound like a heard of horses fills the room, and I feel my heart stop.

"Hear that?" Dr. Greene says with a big smile. "That's your baby's heartbeat, and it's as strong as they come."

"Really?" Ana asks, the tears now spilling freely down her face.

"Yes, really." Dr. Greene says, then she points at the screen. "See this here?" She asks, pointing at what looks like a small jelly-bean. "That's your baby."

"Our baby." I whisper, making Dr. Greene give me a questioning look.

"He looks like a jelly-bean." Ana says, and I can't take my eyes off the screen.

"Yes, she does." I say before I finally mange to tear my eyes away from the screen and look back at Ana. "I love you baby." I say and place a lingering kiss on her lips.

"Um, that reminds me." Dr. Greene says, and looks at me with a mix of confusion and humor on her face. "What are you doing here, Christian?"

"Ana and I are dating." I say with a smile and rub my hand over Ana's hair.

"How long?"

"A month and 9 days, but I'm not counting." I say, making Dr. Greene burst out laughing. Suddenly, she sobers up, and it seems like she's about to ask me something important, but Ana's voice cuts her off.

"Christian?" Ana asks, and when I look at her, I feel my heart sink. She looks deathly pale, and her eyes are drooping. "Christian, I'm not feeling too good."

"Ana?" I ask, but she doesn't answer me. I rub my hand against her face, but she doesn't open her eyes, making me turn to look at Dr. Greene, but she's not sitting in her spot anymore. Instead, I see her press a button on the wall underneath the screen before she rushes to Ana's side. She quickly attaches a monitor to her arm, and she shakes her head when she reads the numbers.

"Her blood pressure is too low." Dr. Greene says, and I'm in a panic I can't even form a word. Suddenly, two other nurses rush into the room and they ask me to step to the side. I reluctantly do, and I look from my spot as they work on Ana. No more than 5 minutes later, I see Ana's eyes flutter open, and I quickly rush to her side.

"What happened?" She asks, her voice coming out groggy.

"You fainted." I say as I run my fingers over her face. "Your blood pressure dropped too low."

"Oh."

"Ana, how many times a day have you been throwing up?" Dr. Greene asks as she helps Ana sit up a little bit.

"Between 12 to 15 times." Ana admits, and I feel my eyes grow wide.

 _What the flying fuck!_

I hear Dr. Greene let out a loud sigh and shake her head.

"What triggers it?"

"Anything and everything." I now answer. "She can't keep anything down, Doctor. She even throws up water sometimes."

"I'm going to run a few tests, but it seems like you have Hyperemesis Gravidarum." Dr. Greene says. "Sever morning sickness." She explains when Ana and I give her blank expressions.

"How do we deal with it?" I ask, making Dr. Greene smile at me.

"I'll prescribe you something that is safe for the baby. However, I have to keep you here for a few hours to monitor your blood pressure. You're also extremely dehydrated. I need to put you on an IV of fluids."

"We're supposed to go to Montesano to spend Christmas Eve with my dad." Ana says, and I already have the wheels turning in my head.

 _We are not leaving Seattle today, even if my life depended on it._

"I'm sorry to tell you this dear, but you're not going anywhere today." Dr. Greene says with a sympathetic smile. "Even when I discharge you in a few hours, you need to rest, and going anywhere today then coming back here tomorrow is not resting."

Ana doesn't say anything, but I can see the unshed tears in her eyes, and I know that I will move heaven and earth to have her spend Christmas with her father.

"We're going to move you to a private room for more comfort and privacy. I will check on you in a couple of hours to see how you're doing."

"Ok." Ana says, but doesn't say much else as I help her put her clothes on. Soon, a nurse comes back with a wheel chair and takes Ana to a private room, with me following behind. As soon as we make it inside the room, Ana is hooked up to an IV line, and before I can even run my idea pass her, she's out cold.

I start to panic when I see her fall asleep so quickly, but the nurse assures me that they gave her a mild medicine, safe for both her and the baby, so that she can rest enough for her blood pressure to return to normal.

Seeing that Ana is fast asleep, I pull out my phone and call Jose, setting my plan in motion.

* * *

 **Ana POV**

I wake up feeling groggy and disoriented, but when I look around the room, I remember where I am, and I can't stop the tears from falling uncontrollably from my eyes.

I can't believe I've allowed my condition to get this bad. I knew in my gut that something was wrong, but I never imagined it was _that_ wrong. I never had any friends who were pregnant to ask them questions, and it's not like I could call my mom and ask her.

 _Yeah, that would go well._

Now, I'm hooked up to this IV line, and I'm going to miss out on spending Christmas Eve with my dad.

That thought alone makes me cry harder. I was so looking forward to it, to Christian meeting my dad. I've wanted the two most important men in my life to meet since before Christian went to London, but then everything happened and here I am today.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you ok?" I hear Christian's panicked voice as soon as he comes into my room, and before I can mutter up a response, he's pressing a button by my bed. "Does anything hurt?"

"No." I whimper between my tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't know things were this bad."

"Sssh, it's ok sweetie." Christian says as he wraps his arms around me and rests my head on his chest. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You didn't know."

"How could I be so reckless?" I hiccup my answer between sobs, and I know that I must look a mess. My makeup must be running down my face and I dread looking at myself in the mirror. "I knew something was wrong, but I didn't want to believe my gut. I thought I was being too emotional and hormonal."

"Now you know to trust your instincts more, right?" Christian asks and looks at me with a warm smile on his face. "The important thing is that the baby is ok, and once you start on the meds, you'll be ok as well."

"Yes, you're right." I say and take a deep breath. "I need to call dad and tell him that we won't be coming today."

"Why don't you call him when we get home?" Christian asks as he busies himself making sure I'm sitting comfortably.

"When will that be?"

"Dr. Greene should be stopping by in a bit. You've been sleeping for two hours."

"Ok." I say and lay back on the bed, briefly closing my eyes.

I guess I will have to tell my dad about the pregnancy over the phone. I really wanted to tell him face-to-face; I wanted to see his reaction to the news that he's going to become a grandfather, but I guess that won't be happening today.

I would Skype call him, but my dad's sentiments towards technology could rival my sentiments towards my mother. He simply hates it, and I'm lucky that he even agrees to carry a cell-phone.

"Hello there, beautiful mommy." I hear Dr. Greene's voice, making me open my eyes and sit up in bed, with Christian's assistance, even though I feel so much better now. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better." I say with an appreciative smile.

"That's good to hear." She says, and the nurse who has come with her takes my blood pressure quickly. "Everything looks back to normal." She says when she sees the results on the monitor herself. "I already gave Christian a prescription for something to help with the constant nausea. However, I need you to contact me the minute you feel dizzy or out of sorts in any way. We will have to monitor your blood pressure closely for the next few weeks. You need to get a home device and measure it 3 times a day for the next two weeks. I'm going to give you a chart to write the results on, with an indicator of what's normal and what's not. If, at any time, your results come out too high or too low, you contact me immediately, no matter what time it is. Do you understand me?"

"Yes." I say, my voice coming out small, much like that of a scolded child, while the nurse removes the IV line from my arm.

"Excellent. I'm going to get your discharge papers ready, and you can be on your way." Dr. Greene says and gives me a sweet smile. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Both Christian and I say. He gives me a quick kiss on the head before he mutters that he'll be right back, then he quickly follows the doctor out of my room.

I slowly move up and put my feet on the floor, not wanting to get dizzy by any sudden move. Once I realize that I feel fine, I stand up and stretch, feeling like I had been sleeping for days. I make my way to the bathroom, and wince when I see my face in the mirror. Just like I had predicted, I have panda-eyes from the mascara and eyeliner smudged on my face, and my lipstick is all but gone, not to mention that my hair is sticking out in all directions.

I quickly use the bathroom then attempt to wash my face as best as I can. Then I remember that I have some wet-wipes in my purse, so I go back to the room and retrieve them, before cleaning the makeup off my face completely.

 _No make-up before doctor visits anymore._

"Ana? Where are you?" I hear Christian's voice calling from the room, and I can hear the panic in it.

"In here!" I quickly call back, making him swing the door open. Once he sees me standing up straight, he lets out a sigh of relief.

"Why didn't you wait for me to help you?"

"I'm ok." I say and place a quick kiss on his lips. "I feel so much better now. I'm not dizzy or nauseous anymore."

"That's great to hear." He says with a beaming smile, and I smile back at him weakly. I wish I could let go of the disappointment I'm feeling at missing Christmas with dad, but I can't.

"Taylor has your discharge papers ready, and he's waiting in the car out front."

"Oh my God!" I gasp in horror, making Christian raise his eyebrows at me. "Please don't tell me that he was waiting outside this whole time."

"No, of course not." He says with a sweet smile. "I had a few things for him to do."

"Things like what?"

"It's a surprise." Christian says, and that one small sentence suddenly makes me feel a little better.

 _I just love surprises!_

"Shall we?" Christian asks, and I simply nod at him. I can't wait to get home so I can shower. I hate sleeping in my regular clothes.

 _Wait a minute! Did I just refer to Escala as home?_

 _What the hell?_

"I need to ask Dr. Greene on where I can get one of those home devices she was talking about." I say as I grab my purse. "I think I'll get two. One for my place and one for yours for when I stay over."

"I already had Taylor get them." Christian says, but I can tell by the sudden tense in his body that he wants to say something else.

"Thank you." I say and quickly kiss his cheek, making him smile again.

We spend the ride back to Escala in silence. I'm enjoying the fact that I can look out the window without feeling sick, but as I watch the Christmas decorations on the streets, I can't help but feel sadness fill my heart.

Before I get the chance to dwell more on my Christmas blues, I feel the car come to a stop at the underground garage, filling one of the many spots kept for Christian. We quickly make our way to the elevator, with Christian insisting on carrying me of course, and I can't help but nuzzle my head against his chest as the elevator rides up to the penthouse.

"I'm sorry we couldn't go to Montesano." He whispers as he places a quick kiss on the top of my head, and I only nod against his strong muscles because I fear I might break down in tears again if I say anything.

Soon, the ding of the elevator indicates that we have arrived, and I close my eyes as Christian walks inside the apartment with me still in his arms.

"Annie!"

My head snaps up at the voice I hear, and a loud gasp leaves my mouth as I see my dad and Sandra standing in front of the large Christmas tree.

"Daddy?" I ask, not daring to believe that he's actually here.

"Are you ok, baby girl?" He asks as he takes quick steps towards us, making Christian gently put me down on the floor. As soon as dad is within arm's reach, I throw myself at him, and he quickly wraps his arms around me as I sob against his shoulder.

My dad gently rubs his hand against my back as he lets me cry in his arms, and after a few minutes, once I'm sure my tears are all dried out, I push myself away from him and just look at him with wonder.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, still finding it hard to believe that he's actually here.

"You boyfriend flew me and Sandra down here to spend Christmas Eve with you, but he wouldn't tell me why you guys were not coming anymore. He just asked me to trust him." Dad says and throws Christian a glare.

"Oh my God, I haven't properly introduced you to him yet." I say and look back at Christian, who is standing back with his hands in his pockets and fidgeting from one foot to the other.

 _Oh my God, he's actually nervous._

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Christian Grey." I say as Christian approaches us and holds his hand out for my dad to shake. "Christian, this is my father, Raymond Steele, and over there is his girlfriend, Sandra."

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Steele." Christian says, and I can see him switch into his CEO mode, not wanting to show my dad that's he's actually intimidated by him.

"Same here." My dad responds, and I see the two of them firmly shake hands, keeping eye contact as they do.

"Dad, don't scare him. I want to keep this one around." I joke as I wrap my arm around Christian's, and a small smile adorns my face when he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll get back to you on that, Annie." Dad says, his eyes not leaving Christian even as we make our way to the couches by the Christmas tree. I quickly move to Sandra and give her a hug, then pull her to sit beside my dad.

"Now that the introductions are over, would one of you tell me why Sandra and I are here instead of you two being in Montesano?" Dad asks, and it's obvious by the way he's glaring at Christian that he's not entirely happy with the fact that he doesn't have all the details.

"Um, well…" I begin, and suddenly I feel nervous about telling him my news. Christian quickly reaches for my hand, and it amazes me how that one simple touch instantly calms me down. "I had a doctor's appointment earlier today, and she told me that I should be resting and not doing a lot of travelling."

"Are you ok?" Sandra quickly asks, because by the looks of it, my Dad is too shocked to say anything, and judging by his deathly pale face, none of the scenarios going through his head are good.

"Yes, I'm ok." I say and jump to sit beside my Dad before I quickly hold his hand. "Daddy, I'm fine. I promise."

"Then why did the doctor say that you need to rest?" Dad asks me, his voice barely coming out.

 _I've never seen him so scared in my life before!_

"Because your grandbaby is kicking my behind making me throw up every chance they get."

The room goes silent as Dad and Sandra look at me with wide eyes, before Sandra's face breaks into a huge grin and she wraps her arms around me.

"Oh my God! Congratulations!" She says and hold me at arm's length to look me over. "I knew something was different about you the minute you came through that door! How far along are you? Is the morning sickness that bad? I know just the perfect recipe to make things easier for you! Oh my God, I'm so excited!"

"I'm only 4 or 5 weeks along, but yes, the morning sickness is that bad. I've been throwing up constantly and when we went to our first prenatal exam today, I had a very low blood pressure and I was extremely dehydrated." I say and quickly look at my dad, who is now shooting daggers at Christian with his eyes, making Christian fidget on the couch. "Daddy, why are you looking at Christian like that?"

"He knocked you up!" Dad yells and jumps to his feet. "How long have you two known each other, huh? And to even think that I thought you were a good man! I expect you to make an honest woman out of her before that baby is born! I will not have my grandchild born a bastard!"

For a long minute, Christian and I sit there in utter and complete shock, not knowing what to say or how to respond to my Dad's outburst.

Then suddenly, my Dad breaks down laughing, closely followed by Sandra.

"Too much?" Dad asks Sandra, who only shakes her head because she can't stop laughing.

"Oh my God!" I screech and jump up before I smack my dad's arm. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"I couldn't pass the chance to scare the poor boy's pants off!" Dad says and we all look at Christian, who is still looking at us with wide eyes.

"I'm so sorry, baby." I say and move to hold Christian's hand. "I should've warned you. My dad has a sick sense of humor."

"I can see that." Christian finally manages to say, but he keeps looking at my dad with almost scared eyes.

"Welcome to the family, Son." Dad says as he now approaches Christian with a warm smile on his face, making Christian stand up from his spot and smile at my dad in return. "You better take care of them. You now care for the two of the most important beings in my life, and if anything happens to them, I will hold you responsible."

"You don't have to worry, Sir." Christian says before he looks at me with a look that I can only describe as loving.

"Call me Ray." Dad says, making Christian only nod at him with a smile.

Right at that moment, Gail comes into the living room, carrying a tray of refreshments to pass around.

"Thank you, Gail." I say as I take the glass of orange juice that she offers me.

"Is everything prepared for dinner?" Christian asks, and my eyes grow in horror.

 _Holy shit I totally forgot about that!_

"Yes, Sir." Gail says before she leaves the room. I take a quick sip from my juice and stand up, making everyone give me questioning looks.

"I'm sorry guys, but I need to go help Gail in the kitchen. I can't let her prepare a full Christmas dinner on her own, on such a short notice." I explain.

"Sit down." Dad command in that military tone of his, and I automatically sit my ass on the couch without a second thought. "You're supposed to be resting, not cooking. I'm sure Gail will manage."

"But…"

"No buts." Christian now says. "Besides, everything is being catered tonight. I won't have Gail spending her Christmas Eve in the kitchen cooking and cleaning."

Hearing that, I settle back on the couch and rest my head on Christian's shoulders, as he, my Dad and Sandra exchange small talk about the nature of his work.

I start to feel my eyes getting heaving after a few minutes, the ruminants of the medicine still evident in my body apparently.

"Sweetie, why don't you go lay down for a little bit?" Dad asks, and I shake my head at him.

"I want to spend as much time with you as possible." I say even as a yawn manages to escape.

"We're not going anywhere, honey. Christian has kindly invited us to Christmas dinner tomorrow with his family."

"Really?" I say, suddenly more energetic, slightly, and look at Christian with a wide smile. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, baby." Christian whispers as he kisses my cheek softly. "So, why don't you go check your blood pressure and rest for a bit? I'll keep Ray and Sandra company until you wake up."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I actually need to rest a bit as well." Sandra says and stands up as well. "Why don't you let me take your blood pressure first, then I can go take a nap."

"That would be great." I say with a smile before I place a quick kiss on Christian's cheek, then move to my dad to hug him. "It's really great having you here, dad. I love you."

"I love you too, baby girl." Dad says and places a quick kiss on my forehead.

Sandra and I make our way to Christian's room, and I find one of the home-devices sitting on top of bedside tables.

"I didn't want to push for questions with your dad in the room, but how are you really feeling?" Sandra asks as I sit on the bed and lift up my arm for her.

Sandra worked as a registered nurse for a private maternity practice for 15 years before she moved to Montesano, and I find myself able to relax around her as she asks me that.

"Right now, I'm really feeling better. The meds that Dr. Greene gave me are really helping, and I haven't thrown up once since I took them."

"I could tell that you've lost weight, but I didn't want to bring it up and worry Ray more than he needs to." She points out as she fastens the strap of the device on my wrist, the rests my arm on top of a pillow that she had placed on my lap. "How much weight have you lost?"

"5 pounds." I say with a small sigh.

"I see." Sandra says, her tone emotionless, much like that of a nurse. "Why didn't you call your doctor before things got that bad?"

"I really didn't think that things were _that_ bad." I say and look down at the devices as it beeps, indicating that the results are in, and by Sandra's smile, I relax, knowing that my blood pressure is within the normal range for now. "Besides, it's not like I could ask anyone for their advice. My mother would have a coronary if she found out that I'm pregnant, and my best friend is a gay man. I don't know anyone who has been pregnant before."

"Well, next time you need to talk to anyone about anything, pregnancy related or otherwise, I want you to call me." Sandra says and gives me a motherly smile. "I was pregnant before, and I worked around pregnant women most of my life."

"Thank you."

"So, how does Christian feel about becoming a father?" Sandra asks, and sits on the bed, waiting for my answer like a teenager waiting for the latest piece of gossip, making me giggle.

"Well, he's really excited, even in light of how this pregnancy came to be."

"What do you mean?" She asks, and gives me a confused look.

"Dad didn't tell you?" I ask, equally confused. I assumed that Dad would tell her about how I was trying to get pregnant.

 _Don't all couples share stories?_

"Tell me what?"

"My IUI."

"Oh sweetie, I didn't know you had trouble conceiving." She says and reaches to hold my hand.

"I don't." I say, making her eyebrows reach her hairline, and making me give out a sigh in result. I then take a deep breath before I explain everything; every single detail, including how Christian reacted when I first told him and how he feels about things now, and by the time I finish, I feel relaxed and better.

That's when I realize that I've trusted Sandra with more information about my life than I have ever trusted my own mother with.

When I finish, I look at Sandra and I see tears in her eyes.

"My poor girl." She says before she throws her arms around me and pulls me in for a strong hug. "I'm so sorry you had to go through so much in your young life."

"It's ok, I guess." I say with a small shrug.

"No it's not. You're an amazing person, and to have so much happen to you breaks my heart."

"I have Christian now, and this little jelly-bean." I say with a small smile as I rest my hand on my still flat stomach.

"Yes you do." She says with a smile, then looks at me with questioning eyes.

"I can hear the wheels turning in your head, Sandra." I say with a giggle.

"Can I ask you something personal?" She asks, and I only nod at her. "How soon after your procedure did you and Christian have sex again?"

It's now my turn to have my eyebrows reach my hairline, and I just look at her with wide eyes.

 _That's too personal!_

"Um, why do you ask?" I ask, feeling my face flush with embarrassment.

I've only ever talked to Jose about my sex life, and it feels totally different to talk to Sandra about this.

"Humor me."

"Five days, I think." I say, the blush deepening to reach my neck.

"And you said you were undergoing hormonal treatment for the IUI, right?"

"Yes." I say, wondering where she's going with her line of questioning.

"Did you use the same donor for all your three attempts?"

"Yes." I answer again, making her give out a small sigh.

"Well, I don't want to get your hopes up or anything, but there's a chance that the baby you're carrying could really be Christian's."

That shocks me into silence, and for a few long minutes, I just stare at Sandra with my mouth hanging open.

"What?" I finally manage to ask, making her hold my hand again.

"It's almost always impossible to know the exact date/time of conception for pregnancies. Even for cases of IUI, doctors usually advice the couple to have sex more than once after the treatment, because that's when the woman is most fertile, and any of those times could be the one that leads to conception." She says and holds my hand a little more tightly. "The fact that you're a healthy young woman, and that you used the same donor on all of your three attempts but still had two fail could indicate that your body simply rejected the donor sample, which makes it seem unlikely that it would take on the third time. The fact that you were receiving treatment to make you more fertile usually means that you produced more than one egg at the time of ovulation, and each could mature at a different stage." She says, and I look at her with confused eyes, not really comprehending what she's saying.

"What I'm trying to say is: there is a chance that you are pregnant through the IUI, but there is also a chance that you might be pregnant with Christian's baby. We know for a fact that one of the eggs produced during ovulation got fertilized, but we can't know for sure which one and when the fertilization happened until you either have a prenatal DNA test or wait to have one when you deliver."

I sit still in my spot for the longest time, trying to wrap my head around what she just told me.

 _The baby might actually be Christian's._

 _Biologically._

 _Fuck!_

 _He's going to hate me!_

That's the last thought that goes through my head before everything goes blank.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **Christian POV**

 **Wednesday, Dec. 24** **th** **, 2014**

I watch as the two ladies head towards our bedroom, and I take a deep breath. I need to talk to Ray about something really serious, but given his earlier reaction, I'm not sure how he will take this.

"You can stop sweating your ass off and just spill it out, son." Ray says, and I can't help but raise my eyebrows at him.

 _Am I that obvious?_

"You can leave your badass CEO persona for the office." Ray says with a smile. "Although I am rather enjoying making you squirm in your seat."

"I'm sorry, sir. It's just that…" I begin, but I really don't know how to finish that sentence.

"Drop the sir." Ray says, the smile not falling off his face. "You'll enjoy this situation when the time comes for you to meet your baby girl's boyfriend."

Instinctively, an almost silent growl leaves my lungs, making Ray burst out laughing.

"Oh, son. There's no way around it. You will not like the fact that your daughter will be dating, but if she meets a guy who's half as decent as you are, then you'll be fine." He says, then shrugs at my blank expression.

"But you don't know me."

"I know enough." He says. "I know that you managed to get Annie out of her shell. I know that you are the one who has put a smile on her face when I thought I would never see it again. I know you love her enough to put your feelings aside even though the baby she's carrying is not yours."

"That baby is mine in every way that matters. I don't care what a piece of DNA says." I say, my voice back to its strong and firm tone.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Ray asks after a moment of silence, obviously shocked by my admission. "You really think of that baby as yours."

"Of course I do." I say, and take a deep breath before I lose my temper. I've already had this conversation with Elliot and Jose, and quite frankly, I really don't care what people think I feel.

This baby is mine.

End of story.

"I love Ana. I love her so much that sometimes I feel like my heart is going to explode. She made me realize what love is about when I didn't think it was possible for me to find it. You say that I got her out of her shell; that might be true, but she did the same to me and more. I can't imagine my life without her, and now that we're having a baby, I can't imagine my life without either of them." I say and take a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say, or ask for, is your permission to marry Ana one day. I know we're not at that point in our relationship yet, but I know she's it for me. She's my everything. My more."

Ray sits back in his seat and looks at me for the longest time, then a small, soft smile decorates his kind features.

"The only one who can give you permission to marry Ana is Ana herself, son, but you have my blessing to ask her. All I ask in return is that you take care of her." He says, then his face turns serious. "And if you ever hurt her, I will hunt you down, kill you, and make it look like an accident."

"I don't expect anything less." I say as I fully know he would keep his promise, but I can't get past the happiness of having Ray's blessing to propose to Ana.

I just need to figure out the when and the how.

"Ray, Christian!" I hear Sandra yell from our bedroom, making both Ray and I jump to our feet.

"What the hell?" I manage to ask as I run to the bedroom, closely followed by Ray. The sight that greets me as I step foot in the room makes my blood run cold, as I see Ana laying on the bed, unconscious.

"What the fuck happened?" I snap as I run towards her, then easily lift her in my arms.

"I didn't realize she would react this way. I told her something, and she just fainted." Sandra says, and I shoot her a deathly look. "Her blood pressure was normal, so it can't be that."

"Then what the hell is it?" I ask as I run my fingers over Ana's hair and whisper in her ear. "Baby, wake up. Please."

"I'm going to get her cell to call her doctor." Ray says, but as soon as he finishes his words, Ana begins to stir in my arms. Once her eyes are fully open, she looks at me and breaks down crying.

"Are you ok? Does anything hurt? Are you cramping?" I ask, but Ana simply shakes her head and tried to move away from me, mumbling something about me hating her. "Why would I hate you, baby? You know I love you more than life itself. I would never hate you."

Ana doesn't respond to what I say, but simply pushes herself away from me and curls herself in a ball at the corner of the bed, rocking back and forth as she continues to mumble about running things and me leaving.

"What the fuck happened?" I ask between grit teeth and look at Sandra, who now looks really apologetic and sincere.

"Christian, why don't you and Sandra leave the room. I'll get Ana to calm down while Sandra explains what happened." Ray suggests as he moves towards Ana, and as soon as he touches her arm, she throws herself at him and sobs into his chest.

"What? No!" I begin, but Ray gives me a pointed look from over Ana's head, and I just huff and leave the room without saying another word. I feel Sandra follow me closely, but she doesn't say anything until we reach my office.

"Speak, quickly!" I say, my voice dripping dominance and control, even though I feel none of that at the moment.

"First, let me apologize. I never imagined she would react that way, but she had to hear what I said. I can't believe her doctor didn't mention anything, but then again, she might know all the details." Sandra says, and it's obvious she's blabbering. She then takes a deep breath to calm herself down a bit, then looks at me pointedly. "I don't know if Ana told you that, but I worked as a registered nurse at a private maternity practice before I moved to Montesano. Having said that, I believe she simply fainted due to shock, not for any medical reasons. Her blood pressure is perfectly normal."

"Good, but that doesn't explain what you said that must've shocked her into fainting."

"The baby Ana is carrying might actually be yours, biologically speaking." Sandra blurts out, and I just stare at her in shock. She then goes to explain the medical details of how that is possible, and by the time she stops speaking, I fall into my chair with a thud.

"Are you sure?" I finally manage to ask after a long moment of silence.

"We're talking about possibilities here, Christian. If you're asking me if I'm sure it's a possibility, then yes I am. If you're asking if I'm sure the baby is yours, then no, I can't be."

"Wow." I say as I run my hand through my hair.

 _Wow!_

 _The baby might actually be mine._

 _Wow!_

 _God I love her!_

 _Best Christmas ever!_

I beam as the last thought crosses my head. I was ready to treat the baby as my own regardless of what meaningless DNA test could ever say, but hearing this, makes my heart swell with pride.

Then my face falls as I remember what Ana was mumbling about. That I would hate her.

 _Does she think so little of me? Does she not trust me?_

I jump to my feet, and without saying another word to Sandra, I run back to our bedroom, and I find Ana a bit calmer, but her eyes fill with tears as soon as she sees me.

"I'm sorry." She says before she starts crying again. "I'm so sorry! You must hate me!"

"I could never hate you, baby." I say and move to sit beside her, filling the spot that Ray just vacated for me. I quickly wrap my arms around her. "Why would you think that?"

"You must think that I trapped you." She hiccups, and I frown at her stupid thoughts.

"No, I don't." I say and push her away from me so that I can look into her eyes, but she just looks away from me. "Ana, please baby, look at me."

When she finally meets my eyes, I wipe away the tears from her face and place a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I don't think you trapped me. I don't think anything other than how much I love you, and how much I love our baby. I didn't need to hear what Sandra said to think about this baby as mine, and you already knew that. However, knowing that it's a possibility that I'm really the father, my heart swells with pride and love."

"But you had an out." She says, and I can't stop the gasp that leaves my mouth. "You could've walked away anytime you wanted, no strings attached. Now, if you decide to leave me, you might forever be connected to me."

"Baby, I love you. I love you more than anything in the world. I don't know what more I can do to prove to you that you're it for me, that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with." I say, and right at that moment, the first thing that comes to mind is proposing, but this is not how I want to do it. This is not what my Ana deserves. Besides, with her hormones and emotions, she's most likely to think I'm proposing because of the news we just learned.

So I settle for the next best thing.

"Move in with me." I blurt out, making Ana look at me with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Move in with me. I've been wanting to ask you since we found out you're pregnant. I want you with me at all time. I want your face to be the first I see when I wake up and the last I see before I go to sleep. I want to be able to take care of you every minute of every day." I say and run my hand through her hair. "Move in with me."

The sound of a throat being cleared breaks us from our trance, and we both are mortified to realize that Ray and Sandra are still in the same room with us.

"Not that I'm happy that you've found someone to love you as much as Christian does, but I draw the line at watching you two seconds from making out." Ray says as he uncomfortably stands by the door. "Oh and Annie, you better give him an answer that will make me feel better about your safety."

With that, Ray and Sandra leave the room, leaving me and Ana staring at each with horror in our eyes, then we burst out laughing.

"Oh my God!" Ana gasps after a few seconds. "I can't believe we forgot they were there. I can't believe my dad witnessed that!"

"Well, let's hope he won't be cleaning his gun after seeing that."

"He left his gun in Montesano." Ana says, and my eyes grow at her. "I think." She adds, making me gulp in fear. "I'm kidding." She says after a second, making me give her a narrowed look, but she just smiles at me.

"So, will you move in with me?" I ask, suddenly nervous as I wait for her answer.

"Are you sure you want me here with you 24/7?" Ana asks as she fumbles with my fingers. "I'm already a mess with all these crazy pregnancy hormones. I don't know when the morning sickness will stop. Soon I'll be as big as a whale. Do you want me filling your space? Not to mention, I'm not alone anymore. You will have to prepare a nursery for the baby, and he'll probably have a crazy sleeping schedule, keeping you up all night."

I silence her with a kiss before she continues with all the reasons why she shouldn't move in. Once she relaxes against me, I pull away and look deep into her eyes.

"Did you really think that you and I wouldn't be living together by the time the baby is born?" I ask, and she weakly nods at me. "Sweetie, if it were up to me, I'll put you on my jet and fly out to Vegas right now, but you deserve better than that."

Her eyes grow at what I say, and I can actually see it in her eyes when she finally realizes that I'm not going anywhere.

"I will marry you, Ana. Both you and the baby are going to be Greys, but this is not my proposal. You deserve romance. You deserve hearts and flowers. You deserve the world. So, for now, I'll settle with you living with me. It'll make me feel so much better knowing that you're safe here instead of being alone at your apartment."

"Ok." Ana says, then she takes a deep breath. "Yes, I'll move in with you."

"Oh thank God!" I say and crash my lips against hers. She kisses me back for a few seconds, then pulls away with a moan.

"Baby, my dad is here." She says, and those words function like an ice-cold shower against my libido. "We'll celebrate when they go back to Montesano."

"Fine." I huff, and I know that I sound like a petulant child, but right now, I really don't care.

I haven't made love to my girlfriend in a long time, because she was sick. Now that she's better, her dad is here.

 _I'm pretty sure if I looked up the word "cock-block" in the dictionary, a picture of a father would be next to the definition._

"I'm going to take a shower, then I'll join you out."

"I thought you were supposed to take a nap."

"I'm not really tired anymore." Ana says and moves to stand up. She moves to grab her clothes from the small drawer she has her things in, and that's when I realize that I never asked her how she felt about the news we just learned.

"How do you feel about it?"

"About what?" she asks without looking at me.

"What Sandra said." I say, and I see her freeze in her spot right in front of the mirror. I look at her face through the reflecting glass, and I see her frowning in concentration.

"I didn't even consider how I feel about it. I was worried how you would react." She says and turns to look at me. "But now that I think about it, I guess the only word to describe how I feel is extremely, and utterly, and totally happy."

My face beams at her, and in two strides, I'm standing in front of her with my hands holding her face.

"You make me the happiest man in the world, Ana. You have to believe that. If you never believe in anything else, always believe in that."

"I love you." She whispers before she stands on her tiptoes and gives me a lingering kiss.

I groan in frustration as she steps away from me, and she throws me a wink before she disappears in the bathroom, leaving me standing in the middle of the room with a stupid look of happiness on my face.

* * *

"That was delicious!" Ray exclaims as he throws himself back on the couch, and I smile that he's comfortable enough to act at home here.

I guess now it's his daughter's home as well.

"I'm just happy I managed to keep everything down." Ana says as I wrap my arm around her shoulder.

She started out with small bites at the dinner table, but once she realized that the meds Dr. Greene gave her actually worked, she was able to enjoy dinner with us.

Thinking about Dr. Greene makes me wonder why she didn't mention anything about the baby. I'll probably give her a call after the holidays to ask, or maybe just wait until Ana's next appointment.

Either ways, I couldn't care less to be honest. I still have to talk to Ana about whether she wants to do a prenatal DNA test or just wait until the baby's here. If it were up to me, I wouldn't do a test in the first place, but she might want to make sure.

"It's time for desert." Gail announces as she walks into the room, carrying a tray plates with pumpkin pie and coffee, with an extra cup of decaf tea for Ana.

"Oh, I don't think I can eat any more." Sandra says, and I immediately look at Ray.

He pulled me aside while Ana was in the shower to tell me of his surprise for Sandra. Apparently, she had once mentioned that she always thought the best way to be proposed to was by hiding the ring in desert, and he wanted to do just that for her today.

To say that I'm honored that he wants to do that with me present is the understatement of the century, but that is besides the point.

"I think one bite won't hurt anyone." Ray says as he stands up to help Gail serve. I notice Ana raise a questioning eyebrow at her father, so I just lean towards her, pretending to kiss her cheek.

"Sit back and watch." I whisper in her ear.

"What do you know?" She asks, curious as ever.

"My lips are sealed." I say as Gail give Ana her plate, then offers me mine, all the while Ana is keeping her eyes on her father. I notice her eyes widen in shock when she notices the ring placed casually on Sandra's pie, and she covers her mouth with her hands to hold back the gasp.

"For you, my love." Ray says as he offers Sandra her plate, but she only realizes what is going on when Ray sinks down to his knee in front of her.

"Oh my God!" She gasps as she looks between the Ray and the plate, then back at Ray.

"Sandra, for the longest time in my life, I thought I would never love again. I thought that my heart was broken beyond repair, but then you came into my life, and I realized that I was just holding myself back for you. You showed me what true love is truly about. You loved me even when I thought I didn't deserve to be loved. And for that, I am eternally grateful. But my life would never be complete without you permanently in it, so, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes!" Sandra squeals as she sinks down to Ray's level, and she kisses him, leaving the plate in Ray's hands between them.

"Oh my God!" Ana gasps as well, and I turn to look at her with a beaming smile.

"Hey, why the tears?" I ask when I notice two lone tears escaping her eyes.

"Happy tears." She only mumbles as she watches her dad place the ring on Sandra's finger with shaking hands.

"Ok." I say, not even pretending to understand what that means.

 _How can tears be happy?_

"Congratulations!" I say as I rise to my feet when Ray stands up and helps Sandra up as well.

"Thank you, son." Ray says and pulls me in for a quick hug. "Take tips." He whispers, and I can't help but laugh at his comment.

"I'm so happy for you!" Ana says as she wraps her arms around Sandra. "And I'm so happy to have you in our family!"

"Thank you sweetie!" Sandra says as she wipes away her own tears, and I'm assuming those are happy ones as well.

Ana then moves to her dad and wraps him in a strong hug. I see her whisper something in his ear, but I can't hear what she says. I only notice that Ray sniffles a bit, as he tries to hold back his tears.

"This calls for a celebration!" I say, and just as I say this, Gail walks in carrying a 3 flutes of Champaign and one with sparkling apple cider for Ana.

Once everyone has their flute in their hands, I raise mine to give a quick toast.

"To Ray and Sandra, may you have the love and marriage that poets are envious of, and my you two live happily to all eternity."

We clink our flutes, and as I look at Ana, I can only hope she's as happy as Sandra is now when I propose to her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Ana POV**

 **Thursday, Dec. 25** **th** **, 2014**

I'm nervous as hell.

That's the only thing going through my mind as I get ready to go to the Greys' for Christmas Day dinner.

I'm wearing a burgundy dress that reaches to my mid-thighs, with sheer long sleeves and knee high black high-heel boots. My hair is down in waves around my shoulders, and my make-up is light.

I'm meeting Christian's family for the first time today, and I can't help but think of all the possible reactions they might have when they learn that I'm pregnant.

Christian and I decided to go against waiting for the traditional 12 weeks mark to tell our loved ones. Dad, Sandra, Jose, Ethan, and Elliot already know, so it's only fair to let everyone else knows.

"Calm down." Christian says from the door, and I yelp, having not noticed him when he walked into the room. "They're going to love you."

"What if they…"

"Don't finish that sentence." Christian says sternly, making me roll my eyes. "My mother can't wait to meet you, and Mia is super excited. I should warn you about that, by the way. Mia can be a little… overexcited. Don't let her overwhelm you."

"Way to make me feel better!" I say with a weak smile, and he just beams at me.

 _Prick!_

"They're going to love you!" He says as he walks slowly towards me. "And I'm going to love taking you out of this dress later tonight."

"Dad will still be here." I say, then I raise a questioning eyebrow at him when he only smiles.

"No, he won't." Christian says, and I step back and tap my foot, waiting for him to elaborate more. "He and Sandra are going to spend tonight at the Fairmont to celebrate their engagement."

I shudder at the thought, not wanting to think about my dad doing _that_ kind of celebration, then I realize that my dad can never afford a night there.

"How?"

"My Christmas/Engagement present to them."

"How did you get him to accept it?" I ask, fully knowing just how proud my dad can be.

"I gave it to Sandra. When he saw how excited about it, he couldn't say no." Christian says with a wide smile.

 _Sneaky!_

"Thank you. That was so sweet of you to do." I say as I reach up and give him a quick kiss, not wanting to smidge my lipstick all over his lips.

"I might have had selfish reasons." He says with a small shrug, making me giggle at him. "I have something for you."

I watch him as he pulls out a red box from his pocket, and I gasp when he opens it.

"Oh my God!" I gasp as I gently touch the beautiful earrings with my fingers. "They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." He says as he pulls out one and helps me put it on. He then helps me put the other one before he admires them on me. "You should always wear diamonds."

"What?" I shriek and turn to look in the mirror. "Those are real black diamonds?"

"Of course!" Christian scoffs. "I would never give you anything fake!"

"I can't take those!" I say and move to remove them, but he holds my hands in place. "Those must've cost a fortune."

"Stop thinking about that kind of thing and enjoy them." He says and kisses me on _that_ spot behind my ear that makes me go weak in the knees. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Thank you." I say weakly, my mind immediately going to the few gifts I got him.

 _I feel so stupid!_

Compared to what he got me, my gifts are going to look stupid.

What is a new set of fishing rods, a solar-operated helicopter toy, pair of cufflinks, and cooking classes (which was a gag gift suggested by Jose) compared to these black diamond earrings?

"What's wrong? Don't you like them?" Christian asks when he sees the obvious discomfort on my face.

"I love them." I say with a sigh. "It's just… my gifts are going to look stupid next to your amazing one."

"They won't." Christian says sternly. "I'm going to love whatever it is you got me. And did you say gifts?" He asks, beaming down at me like a kid.

"Yes." I say, still feeling self-conscious.

"Would you feel better if you gave them to me now instead of at my parents'?" He asks, and I'm not sure if he's trying to make me feel better or if he only wants to see them now.

"I don't know."

"How about you give me one now, and we'll leave the rest until after dinner?"

"I guess." I say, looking down at my suddenly interesting feet.

"Hey, look at me." He says as he holds my chin between his fingers and forces me to look at him. "Stop thinking. I can practically hear the wheels turning in that beautiful head of yours."

"I'm sorry." I say with a sigh. "I'm just going to grab one from the closet."

"They're all there?" Christian says and quickly walks to the massive walk-in closet. I quickly follow him, because I know for a fact that he won't be able to find them with how I've hidden them. I'm willing to bet that he will have no problem in turning the whole closet into a mess to find them.

"I'll get them." I say and pass by him to the far corner where I've hidden them behind the piles of clothes I know he doesn't wear anymore. "Here." I say and give him the small box with the cufflinks. He snatches it from me like the kid he is, and rips the wrapping paper apart.

I watch his face closely as he opens the box, and the beaming smile that decorates his face makes me give out a sigh of relief.

"I love them!" He says as he quickly moves to remove the cufflinks he's already wearing and replaces them with the ones I got him. They're platinum, with the letters CTG engraves on a black background. "They're beautiful. Thank you!" He says before he smashes his lips against mine. "I can't wait to see the rest of the gifts you got me."

"I'm glad you like them." I say as I wipe the lipstick from his lips.

"I'm going to show them to your dad. We'll be leaving in 15 minutes." He says and quickly leaves the closet then the room, leaving me to finish getting ready.

* * *

"Oh my God! Is she here? Where is she? I can't wait to meet her!"

That's the first thing I hear as soon as Christian opens the front door to his parents' house, and I giggle when I hear him let out a loud groan.

" _She_ has a name, Mia, and you better not scare her away!" Christian says as I'm suddenly pulled into a crushing hug by a whirlwind of black hair.

"Oh my God! You're real!" She says and pulls away just enough to look me over. "I thought Elliot was pulling my leg when he said Christian has a girlfriend! And you're pretty!" She says then looks at Christian. "She's so pretty!"

"Yes, I know she's beautiful." Christian says with a roll of his eyes. "Do you mind if we come in now?"

"I'm sorry!" She says with a roll of her own eyes. "I'm just so excited!"

"I think we've gathered that." Christian says with an affectionate smile, showing just how much his loves his little sister with that simple gesture.

"As you've probably guessed, this is my crazy sister Mia." Christian tells me. "Mia, this is Ana, and over here are Ray and Sandra, Ana's father and her soon-to-be step mother."

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." Mia says, suddenly transforming into an elegant young lady as she shakes my Dad's hand then Sandra's. "Merry Christmas and welcome to our home."

"Thank you for having us." Dad says, and I can tell that he's still trying to get over Mia's initial reaction.

"Please, come in. Everyone's in the living room."

We follow Mia as she makes her way to the living room, and as soon as we walk in, everyone is on their feet greeting us. I'm quickly pulled into another strong hug by an elegant older woman who I can only guess is Christian's mother, and when she pulls away, I see unshed tears in her eyes.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ana." She says as she looks at me with nothing but appreciation in her eyes. "You can't believe how much it means to us that Christian has finally brought someone to meet us."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Grey."

"Call me Grace, please." She says before a pair of strong, male arms wrap around me.

"Merry Christmas." He says before he pulls away from me to look me over. "I'm Carrick, Christian's father."

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Grey." I say, and I already feel a blush on my face from all the attention I'm receiving.

"Call me Carrick." He says with a warm smile.

 _I just hope they still feel the same when they learn I'm making them grandparents._

Introductions are quickly made, and before they're finished, the doorbell rings, announcing the arrival of more guests.

I silently wonder if Elliot will be bringing Kate today, and I inwardly hope that he doesn't. I'm not in the mood to deal with her today.

Seconds later, my worries are put to rest for the time being as Jose and Ethan walk in carrying gifts.

"Merry Christmas all!" Jose yells, making everyone laugh at the silly Santa hat he's wearing.

After that night at the bar a little over a month ago, Elliot and Jose has become close friends, and he's invited Jose and Ethan over for game night with his father more than once.

 _I can't believe he met my boyfriend's family before I did!_

"Santa has come bearing gifts for the wicked!" Jose says as he places the gifts under the massive Christmas tree. "Good people don't have place on my list!"

"I apologize in advance for anything and everything he says!" Ethan jokes as he points his thumb at his over-enthused boyfriend.

We hear the door open again, and seconds later, someone walks in wearing a black robe and a Scream mask, yelling "Wazzuuuuuuup" as loud as he could.

"Elliot!" Grace yells with a shake of her head, and I can't help but giggle at him.

"Oh, sorry!" Elliot says as he takes off the mask. "Wrong holiday!"

He then proceeds to pull a Santa had from under his robe before he removes it to expose a red suit with elf shoes.

"Ho Ho Ho!" He yells again, and by now, the entire room is laughing.

I feel Christian wrap his arms around me as I watch Elliot, Jose, and Ethan walk around the room greeting everyone, and when Jose reaches me, he holds me in a tight hug.

"You're glowing." He whispers against my ear, and I just smile, even though I know he can't see it.

For the next half an hour, everyone is talking to everyone, with Mia and Grace paying me special attention, wanting to know anything and everything about me. The two of them seem genuinely happy about meeting me, and I feel myself relax more with each passing second.

"Dinner is served." The Greys' housekeeper announces, and we all move to the dining room where a full on feast is waiting for us. Carrick and Grace take their seat at either head of the table, while everyone else take their seats, with me sitting between Christian and my dad, with Sandra sitting on my dad's other side, and Elliot, Jose, Ethan, and Mia sitting across from us.

"Will Kate not be joining us today?" Grace asks as she places her linen napkin on her lap. I quickly look at Ethan, and I'm glad to see him unaffected by Grace's question.

"I hope not." I hear Elliot mutter under his breath, and I have to hold back the giggle that threatens to leave my lips.

"What was that dear?"

"Nothing, mother." Elliot says as he clears his throat, making Grace give him a pointed look.

"Pay him no mind, dear." Carrick says as he moves to carve the turkey. "Let's enjoy dinner."

And that's exactly what we do. For the next hour, we enjoy dinner over light conversation and the occasional jokes from Elliot and Jose.

Once dinner is over, we all move back to the dining room to exchange gifts, and I'm suddenly nervous again.

I made sure to get something for every member of Christian's family, I just hope they like what I was able to get them.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, and judging by Elliot's reaction, I can only guess that Kate is the one arriving.

"Hello everybody!" Kate calls as she walks into the living room, making me, Jose, Ethan, Elliot, Christian, and even my dad, roll our eyes. "Oh, is it time for gifts? I got here just in time!"

"Merry Christmas, Kate." Grace says as she moves to greet Kate with a polite air-kiss on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Grey." She says, and I inwardly fist pump.

 _I get to call her Grace! In your face, bitch!_

"Where's the wine?" Carrick asks, obviously trying to avoid Kate, making her roll her eyes at him.

"On its way!" Elliot yells and quickly leaves the room.

"I can't believe he's still seeing her!" I whisper to Christian, and he actually looks ashamed on behalf of his brother.

"I can only hope that it won't be for long." Christian whispers back. I notice that Kate only greets Mia, then totally ignores the rest of us, including my dad and Sandra.

 _Rude much?_

I see Kate try to engage Grace in a conversation, but it's obvious by Grace's body language that she's only being polite to Kate, nodding at the needed time and giving the appropriate _aha_ and _I see_ when needed.

"What crawled up her ass and died?" Sandra asks as she stands beside me, and I can't control the laugh that leaves my lungs.

"You'll see in a minute." Christian answers on my behalf.

"Who is she, anyway?" Sandra asks.

"Ethan's sister and Elliot's girlfriend." I say, and I laugh again at Sandra's wide eyes.

"Elliot is dating that _thing_?"

"Not for long." Elliot whispers, having come to stand behind us unnoticed.

"Don't make a scene!" Christian warns. "Mom will serve your head for breakfast tomorrow morning if you do!"

"I won't if I don't have to. It's all up to her and how she behaves." Elliot says, making both Christian and I groan.

It would've been much easier for him to promise to make a scene, because anyone who knows Kate knows that she will be behaving rudely.

"Wine is here." Elliot announces as he holds up two bottles of red wine. Soon, the glasses are circulating around the room, and Elliot actually looks nervous about whether to offer me one or not.

"Give Ana her glass before you spill it all over her beautiful dress." Carrick says, and Elliot actually looks at Christian for guidance.

"Ana won't be drinking tonight." Christian says, taking the glass from Elliot and placing it on top of the fireplace mantel. "Ana and I have an announcement to make, and I ask you all to keep an open mind and heart."

That last sentence makes my heart plummet to my stomach.

 _Why would he say that if he didn't know that they won't take the news well?_

"Oh my God!" Grace gasps, obviously having figured out what the news is, and the expectant look on her face gives me a small glimmer of hope.

"Ana and I are having a baby." Christian says as he holds my hand and brings it up to his lips.

The room is silent for a long minute before Mia screams out and pulls me away from Christian to hug me. I then pulled into a hug by Grace, then Carrick.

"Oh sweet girl, you have made me so happy!" Grace says as she wipes away a stray tear. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you Grace." I manage to say, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of love I'm feeling.

 _Ok, this is going better than I expected._

"Wow. You work fast." Kate says from across the room as she sips on her wine. "When did you two meet? A month ago? Are you even sure the baby is yours, Christian?"

 _I spoke too soon!_

"Kate! Shut the hell up!"

I'm surprised to see that it's Ethan who yells at her.

"I will not tolerate such behavior in my house, Katherine." Grace now speaks up. "You either keep quiet or feel free to leave."

Kate only scoffs as she sips on her wine again.

 _Someone just got on everyone's shit list!_

"Let's open the gifts, shall we?" Carrick asks, trying to be a peacemaker like he was at the dinner table, but I can see by the visible stiffness in his shoulders that he's not entirely happy about Kate staying.

We all move to sit around the room while Mia takes a spot under the tree as she starts to grab boxes from under the tree, calling out who the gift is from and to whom.

I'm shocked to find that I got gifts from all members of the Grey family, and I'm even more pleasantly shocked by the reaction they had for my gifts. I got Carrick a set of crystal tumbler and glasses because Christian told me that he enjoys an occasional glass at the office. For Grace, I got her a relaxing day at the spa as well as a silk scarf. For Mia, she also got a relaxing day at the spa with a pink Michael Kors purse. Elliot got tickets to a hockey game that Christian told me he really enjoys. Jose got a pair of boots he had been raving about for ages, and Ethan got a shirt, tie, and cufflinks.

However, the best reaction of all was that of Christian's when he opened his gifts. I thought he would be most excited about the finishing rods, but he beamed like a kid about the solar-operated helicopter. He also couldn't stop laughing at the cooking classes, and when he showed it to everyone else around the room, they couldn't stop laughing either.

I have tears in my eyes when I realize that the Greys also got gifts for my dad and Sandra, and by that small gesture, I feel my heart swell with love for my new family.

On my side, I got a pearl necklace from Grace and Carrick, which brought tears to my eyes. Mia got me an IPad full with an application holding all books in the British Library. Elliot got me second edition copies of Jane Eyre, which must've cost a fortune, and Jose and Ethan got me a 1000$ worth gift voucher for one of the baby shops in town.

I wasn't the only one to notice Kate's eyes throwing daggers at me as the Greys showered me with such extravagant gifts, when she only got a platinum keychain from Mia and a voucher from Neman Marcus from Carrick and Grace. Of course, she didn't get anything from Jose and Ethan, and when Mia gave her a medium sized box, announcing it's from Elliot, her face fell.

 _What was she expecting? A ring?_

She opens the gift to reveal a Paris snow globe, and she beams at Elliot.

"Oh baby. Does this mean you're taking me to Paris?" Kate asks as she wraps her arms around Elliot, who suddenly looks horrified.

"What? No!" Elliot says and pushes her away from him. "Why would you think that?"

"Are you serious?" Kate shrieks. "You only got me a snow globe? What the hell, Elliot!"

"What? We agreed weeks ago that we would get each other simple gifts!" Elliot snaps, obviously serious.

 _Shit! I thought he was joking!_

"I thought you were kidding!" Kate shrieks again. "I got us tickets to New York for New Year's Eve."

"Well, you will have to cancel those because I already made plans with Jose and Ethan to go to Cancun for New Year's."

"What?" She now yells, and everyone is just staring at her as she throws a tantrum that a 2 year-old toddler would be ashamed of. "You're going with the fags?"

"Ok, that is enough young lady!" Carrick now yells as he jumps to his feet. "You will shut your filthy mouth right this second!"

"Are you going to let him talk to me like that?" Kate asks and looks at Elliot expectantly, and I can actually tell the exact second Elliot finally snaps.

"The _him_ you are referring to is my father, you fucking bitch. I have had it with your attitude and your behavior. I tolerated you for the free lay you offered me, but I'm willing to become celibate rather than deal with you One. More. Second." Elliot says, and I'm actually surprised by his deathly calm tone. "We are over. Get the fuck out of my parent's house, and if I never see you again it would be too soon!"

Kate just stares at Elliot open mouthed, obviously shocked by his words.

"You heard my son." Grace now says. "You are not welcomed here anymore. Therefore, kindly leave, or I will have you escorted out."

"Elliot!" Kate shrieks again.

"What the fuck are you still doing here?" Elliot asks then turns to look at Christian. "Bro, is Taylor here? We might need him!"

"Allow me." Jose says as he moves towards Kate, and we all hold our breaths as he grabs her arm and practically drags her out of the living room. We can hear Kate yelling at him to _get his filthy gay hands away from her_ , and then we hear the door open then slam shut.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Elliot says after a moment of shocked silence.

"It's about damn time you broke up with her." Grace says, and judging by the shocked reactions around the room, I can guess that Grace is not a woman who cusses.

"I'm sorry about that everyone." Jose says as he walks back in the room. "But I had to take the trash out!"

Just like that, everyone gives out small laughs, and no one mentions Kate again for the rest of the night.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in update, but RL has been kicking my behind! Here is chapter 13. It's un-edited and un-betaed. If I didn't get it out today it would have taken until next week, and I didn't want to take more time between updates. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Ana POV**

 **Monday, Jan. 5** **th** **, 2015**

I cannot wipe the smile off my face as I make my way to the office. It's been a wonderful 10 days, and the happiness I'm feeling is threatening to overwhelm me. After joining the Greys' for Christmas day, Dad and Sandra went to spend two nights at the Fairmont, leaving me and Christian alone at home to celebrate Christmas.

I still get a giddy feeling in my heart as I think of Escala as home. Christian had all my stuff packed and boxed the day after Christmas, only allowing me to supervise as the movers did all the work. He then had them move everything to his, _our_ place, and had me supervise again as they unpacked.

I had to draw the line at them packing my clothes and underwear, and Christian only relented because he too did not want strange men looking at my clothes, specifically my panties and bras. However, he still refused to let me do any of the work, and he recruited Mia, Jose, and Ethan to do the job. He flat out refused when Elliot suggested to help, and when I asked him about it, his exact words were: _he may be my brother, but he's a straight, hot-blooded, recently single man, and I will not have him invading your privacy._

I still giggle at that, but I love his possessiveness and jealousy, considering that it's more on the rational, sexy side, rather than on the crazy, suffocating side.

Christian has given all his employees the time off between Christmas and New Year's, however, my bosses weren't so accommodating for us, but I did have so many paid vacation days accumulated that I was able to take the time off and spend the holidays with him.

Elliot, Ethan, and Jose tried to get us to go with them to Cancun to celebrate New Year's, but after talking to Dr. Greene, she advised that I should try to relax as much as possible, and to try to avoid travelling. That really disappointed Christian, but not because he wanted to join the guys, but because he had secretly been planning for us to go to New York to spend New Year's, especially with his apartment that overlooks Central Park and that would give us a great view of the celebrations.

We settled for a quiet night at home, one that we spent cuddling in front of the fireplace, making out, and ringing in the New Year while making love.

Now, four days later, it's back to the real world, and even though I would rather stay with Christian in our private bubble of bliss, I know that duty calls.

I notice that people are giving me strange looks as I walk to my office, but I brush it off as jealousy for being able to take that much time off. However, once I make it to my desk, a loud gasp leaves my lips as I find a copy of The Nooz on top of my keyboard, and the front-page headline brings tears to my eyes.

 _ **Seattle's Most Eligible Bachelor Snatched by a Gold-digger?**_

"Don't touch that!" I hear Jose call from my door just as I reach my shaking hand for the magazine. I look up at him, and judging by the look on his face, I can tell that he already read the article. "You don't need that crap in your head."

"I need to know what they say about me!" I say between tears.

 _Damn pregnancy hormones!_

"No you don't." Jose says as he quickly strides towards me and snatches the magazine from in front of me. "They're a bunch of assholes who don't have anything better to do with their lives."

Just then, my phone starts ringing, and as I reach for it, I see Christian's name blinking on the screen.

"Are you ok, baby?" He asks before I even have the chance to say hello.

"I don't know." I say as I wipe away my tears. "Jose took the magazine before I had the chance to read it."

"Why do you have a copy in the first place?" He asks, his tone taking on an angry tone.

"Someone left it at my desk, Christian. It's not like I went looking for it!" I snap, but then take a deep breath to calm myself down. "Sorry."

"It's ok, baby." He says with his own sigh, and I can imagine him tugging at his hair. "Taylor is coming to SIP now. He's going to stay with you until it's time for you to go home."

"Why?" I ask, and I can already feel the panic tugging at my heart.

 _Why the hell would I need Taylor?_

"Baby, within an hour, SIP is going to be bombarded with paparazzi, and I don't want anyone getting to you. I don't want you leaving the building unless you're going home. Taylor can get you your lunch."

"Gail already packed me my lunch." I say, purposefully ignoring the comment he said about the paparazzi.

 _Why would they be interested in someone like me?_

"I'm going to be appointing you a CPO as well. Taylor says he knows someone who's excellent, but he can't join until tomorrow. Until then, Taylor will be in charge of your safety while you're at SIP."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, baby." Christian says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. "GEH is the safest building. Security is very tight here and I have other members of the security team who I can trust with my own safety. You, on the other hand, I can only trust Taylor with your safety."

I feel more tears gather in the back of my eyes at his words, and I smile at Jose as he hands me a tissue.

"I love you." I say after a minute.

"I love you too. Both of you." Christian says, and with that, he hangs up.

"Taylor coming over?" Jose asks with a small smile, earning a nod from me. "Good. I'm willing to bet the entrance is going to be covered with assholes by the time you head home."

"How would they even know that I work here?"

"The article was very detailed." Jose says as he shoves the magazine in his back pocket. "Let's leave it at that."

I nod at Jose again, not knowing what else to say. A few minutes later, he leaves me alone to my work, but I can't even concentrate on the manuscripts that are piles over my desk.

Instead, I fire up my laptop and Google Christian. Of course, the first link that pops up is the one that takes me directly to the Nooz's website.

My face is splayed all over the homepage, some are shots obviously taken from when Christian and I went out during the holidays, and some are dating back to my collage days. One picture grabs my attention. It's of me walking out of Escala, and looking at my outfit, I can tell that it was taken a few days after Christmas. What's really bothering me is not the picture itself, but the red circle they had drawn around my abdomen, with an arrow pointing at it, and the caption _**baby in the making**_ written under it.

 _How the fuck did they find out about the baby?_

As soon as the question pops in my head, I realize the answer. Only a few people know about the pregnancy, all of which are trusted family member.

Well, all but one.

 _I'm going to kill Kate._

I take a deep breath and decide to focus on my work for the time being. There's no point in dwelling over this, not when I have to make sure that my blood pressure stays within the normal range. I know that if I keep looking at this, it's going to skyrocket, and I don't need that. Therefore, I decide to shut down my Internet browser and grab the first manuscript on top of the pile.

An hour passes by with me focused on work, the only interruption being Taylor notifying me of his arrival and that he will be stationed right out my office door. Then my phone starts ringing off the handle, and each time I look at it, a strange number is blinking back at me.

I keep ignoring the phone calls, knowing that nothing good will come if I picked it up. After what I think is the 20th ring, I put it on silent and focus back on my work.

By the time the clock hits noon, I have about 50 missed calls on my phone, and about 20 e-mails on my work e-mail and almost a 100 on my personal one. I notice that 10 of the missed calls are from my mother, and I just roll my eyes at that.

 _Yup. Now she decides to become a mother. Typical._

I know that now I will have to change my number and my personal e-mail. That's not what I'm worried about. What worries me is my work e-mail. All the e-mails are monitored, and we are not allowed to use the server for personal use. If the IT department takes even one look at my account now, they're going to flip.

My hear sinks when my office line begins to ring, and I know that this is a phone line that I cannot ignore no matter what. With shaking hands, I reach for the phone handle, and hold it against my ear.

"Hello?"

"Anastasia Steele?"

"Speaking. May I ask who am I talking to?"

"This is Jessica Gazer from The Seattle Times. Can I have a minute of your day?"

"I'm sorry, but no, you may not." I say and hang up, not even caring about how rude that was.

 _I'm seriously going to kill Kate!_

"Taylor!" I yell, not even bothering to walk up to the door and talk to him like a normal person would. I'm shaking with anger at the moment, and I don't care what anyone thinks about me.

"Yes, Ms. Steele?" Taylor asks as he walks into my office as soon as I finish calling his name.

"First of all, and for the millionth time, my name is Ana." I say with a roll of my eyes. "Second of all, apparently both my personal and work phone numbers are now public knowledge, as well as my personal and work e-mails." I say as I look at my laptop. "As of 5 minutes ago, I've received 35 e-mails on my work address, 150 on my personal one, 75 missed calls on my personal phone, and I just received a call from the Seattle Times on my work line." I say as I fire up my work e-mail, wanting to send an official apology to my boss and request to work from home for the rest of the day. I notice Taylor's eyes bulging out as I tell him of what is going on, and he quickly reaches for his phone. "Before you go off reporting to Christian. I think I'm going to head home early for the day. I'm just going to send an e-mail to my boss and HR."

"Yes, that would be wise." Taylor says even as he holds the phone against his ear.

I tune him out as I send a quick e-mail to Jack and to HR, then I grab my laptop and the manuscripts that I need to work on.

"Is there an underground parking lot here?" Taylor asks, making me raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, I think so. Why?"

"There are about 30 reporters out front, and I can't handle them and make sure you are safe at the same time. It would be best if we used the underground parking lot."

"I see." I say, and I can literally feel my blood pressure rising.

What is pissing me off even more is that Christian hasn't called once since our talk in the morning.

"Mr. Grey is in a meeting that he can't get out of." Taylor says as if he has read my mind. "I was briefing Welch, our security advisor on the updates."

"I see." I say, and hearing him say that does make me feel better, a little bit.

Taylor asks me to stay back for 5 minutes until he can get the car down to the parking lot, and I take the time to go see Jose and explain to him what is going on. The looks I get from everyone at the office start to piss me off as they look at me as if I'm something stuck to the heel of their shoes.

"Don't you have work to do?" I finally snap as I reach Jose's desk, and he lets out a snicker at my reaction. "Fucking assholes." I mutter under my breath.

"Going somewhere?" Jose asks when he sees me carrying all my stuff.

"Home." I say and explain to him about the phone calls and e-mails, as well as my conclusion that Kate is the one behind everything, earning a string of colorful curses from him, and making a few of our colleagues look at us with wide eyes.

"I'm so going to kill her." He finally says when he stops cursing.

"Get in line." I say as I put on my jacket. "Don't tell Ethan about this. I don't need him hating his sister more than he already does."

"He'll be the first in line to give her a piece of his mind, that's for sure." Jose says with a huff. "But I won't tell him if you don't want me to. Although, I'm pretty sure he'll figure it out on his own."

"If he does, then he does, but it won't be me adding insult to injury for their relationship." I say with a sigh. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"Will you be coming in tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure. It all depends on how crazy things are outside."

Jose only nods at me as I make my way to the elevator, and within minutes, I'm in the privacy of Christian's Audi. As Taylor drives out of the parking lot, I notice the craziness that is gathered at the entrance, and I let out a loud groan at the sight.

 _My life is never going to be the same again._

Once we make it back to Escala, I quickly go to our bedroom and change out of my work clothes. I put on a pair of sweats and a warm sweater before I go to the library and relax in front of the fireplace with my manuscripts.

A couple of hours later, I decide to take a break and go find myself something to eat. I find Gail in the kitchen working on dinner, and I only smile at her, not really wanted to engage in any kind of human interaction at the moment.

However, when Taylor comes to the kitchen with a worried look on his face, I have to pause and ask him what is going on.

"Ms. Steele, Ana. There's a visitor on their way up. She's a friend of Mr. Grey's, but she said she wanted to talk to you."

"Who is it?" I ask, wondering why Taylor would even tell me this if it's someone who should not be within a close distance of me.

"It's Elena Lincoln."

* * *

 **Christian POV**

The minute I saw Welch waiting for me in front of my office, I knew that my happiness from the last 10 days has come to an end. The bubble Ana and I were in during those days were calming to say the least, and the relaxation I felt with her and around her was something I had never before felt in my life.

"What's going on?" I ask as I step into my office, closely followed by my trusted security advisor.

"Your relationship with Ms. Steele has been made public, and the one article published so far is brutal to say the least."

"Damn it." I curse as I reach out to take the usual report from him, but instead, he hands me a copy of the Nooz. "What the fuck, Welch?"

"I apologize, sir, but we have not been able to write a report about it yet. This is today's edition and it just came out this morning."

"Why have you not been alerted about it ahead of time?" I ask. Usually, we have our inside sources at the major magazines and newspapers, giving us some sort of a heads-up before any article is published.

"We're trying to figure that out, sir." Welch says, and I can tell by his tone that he's nervous.

 _This must be really bad._

I look at the front-page, and I immediately feel myself tense. The headline blatantly reads:

 _ **Seattle's Most Eligible Bachelor Snatched by a Gold-digger?**_

"Fucking assholes." I grit as I flip the pages until I find the article. It has different pictures from when Ana and I went out during the holidays, and some obviously older; I'm guess from when she was still in college.

" _Do you hear that? It's the sound of hearts breaking all over the nation!_

 _As usual, the Nooz brings you the scoop that no one knows about on our local and national celebrities. This time, we are talking about no one other than our local Billionaire Bachelor, Christian Grey._

 _An inside source tells us that Grey is no longer single, and his new relationship puts to rest any speculations about his sexuality, or so it seems._

 _Grey is dating one Ms. Anastasia Steele, originally from Montesano. Steele works as an editor at the publishing house Seattle Independent Publishing, and she's 25 years old._

 _But what do you want with these boring information? The big news is, Grey and Steele are expecting their first child! Yes, your read right. Steele has managed to forever trap Grey into her clutches by getting pregnant. The fact that no one has heard about their relationship before makes us wonder if their fling is recent or if they had managed to go under the Radar for a while. However, our source informs us that Grey and Steele only started dating a month ago._

 _Makes you wonder if the baby does in fact has Grey genes, doesn't it?_

 _Our source, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells us that Anastasia spent the holidays with Christian, barely having left the apartment – as you can see by the very few photos we managed to obtain. The source also tells us that the Grey family is so smitten with her; it will most likely break their hearts when things between them don't work._

 _This new revelation brings more than one question to mind. Is Christian actually gay and using Anastasia as a beard? Why would someone take on a pregnant woman otherwise? If Christian is in fact straight, is he that gullible to believe that the baby is actually his? If the baby is his, is he stupid to think that Anastasia didn't just trap him? It's a classic trick right out from Gold-Digger 101!_

 _I think it's safe to say that Christian Grey is not as smart as he seems to be, if he is ok with this whole scenario._

 _Remember, you read it first at the Nooz. We will bring you more updates as they come!"_

The anger I'm feeling about the article cannot be described with words, but it's nothing compared to the anger I feel when I see a picture of Ana, with a circle around her abdomen, and a caption reading: _**Baby in the Making?**_

"Fuck!" I yell at the top of my long before I rip the magazine to shreds with my bare hands. "Find out who the source is Welch. I need their ass on a platter!"

"On it, sir!" Welch says before he leaves my office.

"Taylor!" I yell, but I'm momentarily surprised when he simply speaks up from his usual spot by the door.

 _The bastard was there the entire time. Stealthy motherfucker!_

"I need you to go to SIP and stay with Ana until she goes home. I also need you to get someone to be her CPO. Someone who's as good at you if not even better." I say, and with that, he raises an amused eyebrow at me.

 _Arrogant motherfucker!_

"This person better be the best out there. He will be responsible for the safety of Ana and our child. Until he gets here, you'll stay with her as her CPO. I can manage with Ryan for the time being."

"Yes, sir." Taylor says with a small smile. "I know a guy. We served together overseas. For all intents and purposes, he's a younger version of me, sir. I trained him and taught him everything he knows."

"Get him on your team ASAP." I say, but I can tell by Taylor's body language that there's something he's not telling me. "You already contacted him, didn't you?"

"He can join tomorrow, sir." Taylor says, and I can see a hint of a smile threatening to show on his face.

 _Efficient motherfucker!_

"Just get to SIP. I want to meet with your guy as soon as he gets in." I say as I start dialing Ana's number. "What's his name?"

"Luke Sawyer, Sir." Taylor says right before he leaves my office. I wait for a few seconds for Ana to pick up, and before she can even say hello, I start talking.

I'm really glad that Jose took the magazine away from her before she even could look at it. She doesn't need that kind of crap in her head. She needs to make sure that her blood pressure stays within the normal range, and this kind of shit will not help at all.

I can hear the panic in her voice when I tell her that Taylor is heading her way, and I'm trying to be as honest as possible with her about what will probably happen within the next few hours. I need to keep her safe, but at the same time, I will not baby her and keep her in the dark about her own safety.

I take a quick look at my schedule for the day and I groan at how packed it is, and none of it can be postponed or delegated to Ros at the moment. I would love to go to Ana right now and just keep her safe, but I know that is not possible, so, I resolve to my reality and head to the meeting room.

At half past noon, my phone dings indicating the arrival of a text message, and when I look at my phone, I realize it's from Welch. Knowing that this is one I should read right away, I tune out those who are sitting around the meeting room table and quickly open it.

" _Ms. Steele's private and work phone numbers, as well as her private and work e-mails have become public knowledge. How should we proceed?"_

"Shit!" I mutter under my breath and I rise to my feet, quickly excusing myself from the meeting.

It's not like they're going to wonder why I suddenly left. I'm the damn CEO and no one questions what I do!

"Andrea, I want Barney and Welch in my office right now!" I say and quickly get back to my office. I look at my phone as I wait for the two guys to arrive, and I notice a text from Taylor informing me that Ana went home early and that SIP's entrance was humming with reporters and paparazzi wanting to talk to her.

I trust Taylor to get her home safe and to keep her safe there, but can I trust the building security to keep her safe while at the office? Granted, Taylor will stay with her until this Sawyer guy gets here, then it's on him, but what if someone gets to them. By then, it would be too late, and if someone wants to harm her, it wouldn't be over their capacities to neutralize a body guard.

"Andrea!" I yell into my intercom. "Get me Ros on the phone."

I don't give her a chance to respond and just remove my finger from the button. My mind is reeling with all the possibilities of what could happen to Ana and our baby, and I feel my heart wrench with pain at the thought of them being in harm's way.

The minute my office line rings, I pick it up, fully knowing that Ros is on the other end of the line.

"Ros, get me everything you can possibly get about SIP." I bark into the phone.

"Woah! Hold your horses, Christian." Ros says, and I have to pinch the bridge of my nose to stop from biting her head off. "You do realize that SIP is a publishing house, right? We don't need to get into publishing!"

"Just do as I say, Ros." I say and slam the phone down, just as Barney and Welch walk into my office.

"Barney, how soon can you get access to Anastasia Steele's work e-mail account?"

"It all depends on the firewall they have, sir." Barney says as he sits on the chair in front of my desk and opens up his laptop. "She works at SIP, right?"

"Correct." I say, trying to will the headache that I can literally feel approaching away.

"Well damn." He mutters after a few seconds. "Their firewall is practically non-existent. I can hack into their server in less than 10 minutes."

"You might want to reconsider that, sir." Welch now speaks up, and I know that he wants to talk about the legality of things. "The hack could easily be traced back to GEH."

"Fuck!" I yell and run my fingers through my hair. I can only imagine the colorful things that are in those e-mails, and I really don't want her to even look at them, let alone read them.

That leaves me with one option.

"Andrea, get me Jerry Roach on the phone." I snap and look at Welch. "Taylor is bringing in a guy he knows. I need you to run a very detailed and extensive background check on him. He will be Ana's direct CPO, and I'm not willing to take any chances."

"Yes, sir." Welch says with a nod, and the two of them just sit there, since I haven't dismissed them. A few minutes pass before my phone rings again, and it's Andrea telling me the Roach is on the phone.

"Mr. Roach, this is Christian Grey. How are you today?" I say, wanting to keep the pleasantries going for the time being.

"Mr. Grey, to what do I owe the honor of talking to you?" He asks, and I can hear the sarcasm dripping from his tone. "I don't suppose this has to do with your little play thing, does it?"

"Excuse me?" I ask through grit teeth.

 _He did not just say that!_

"Anastasia."

"That's Ms. Steele to you, Mr. Roach." I say just as Ros walks into my office carrying a folder before she places it in front of me, and quickly flipping to a page that makes my face split into a wide grin. Just like that, she walks out, leaving me with Barney and Welch.

SIP is sinking, and it's sinking fast, if the numbers in front of me are any indication. The asshole on the phone has no position to fuck with me.

"What do you want Grey? If you're calling to ask me to give Anastasia preferential treatment just because you're tapping that, it's not going to happen. She's a good editor, I'm not going to deny that, but that's all she is, an editor."

"Well, Jerry, let me put it this way. It has recently come to my attention that publishing is a very good business, and I find that I'm interested in venturing into that world." I say, and I can actually hear the sound of his heart sinking. "Name your price."

"SIP is not for sale."

"It is now."

"I said SIP is not for sale, Grey." Roach snaps, and my grin widens. "You and your little girlfriend can go fuck yourselves!"

"I was really willing to do this the nice way, but I'm guessing you'd rather go for a hostile takeover." I say nonchalantly. "Suit yourself."

I give him a few seconds before I move to hang up, and just as I remove the handle from my ear, I hear him calling my name.

"Yes, Jerry?" I ask, the smirk never leaving my face.

"What do you know?" He asks, and I let out a small laugh.

"It doesn't matter what I know, what matters is that SIP is sinking. You'll be filing for bankruptcy before the end of the year, and unless you have some magic tricks under your sleeve, by mid of next year, SIP will have closed down." I say and sit back on my chair. I can almost feel his desperation through the phone. "In regards to what I know, I know that SIP is your baby, and that you would hate to see it close. I was offering you the chance to keep it up while still being involved. A hostile takeover means that you will not be allowed to step foot through SIP's front door. The choice was yours, and I guess you just made the wrong one."

With that, I hang up the phone. I look at Welch, and Barney with a smile on my face, and I raise up three fingers, meaning three minutes.

Roach doesn't disappoint and he actually calls me back in two.

"What do you want?" is the first thing Roach asks when I pick up the phone.

"Name your price."

"I need to think it over, Mr. Grey." He says.

 _So, it's Mr. Grey now._

"But until I get back to you on that, what can I do for you?"

"I want access to your internet server. I could easily hack into it, simply because your firewall is practically non-existent, but I'm extending you the courtesy of notifying you of this."

"Done." He says, and I quickly nod at Barney, making him start typing away on his laptop.

"I will need that in writing, Roach."

"Will an e-mail suffice?" He asks, and I can't stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"Of course not." I snap. "Write up an official letter and have it signed by your legal department, provided you have one. If not, have it signed by your lawyer and then have it delivered to GEH within the hour. Am I understood?"

"Why the complications, Grey? An e-mail is much faster!"

"I just told you that your IT protection is good for nothing, and you want me to risk having your approval over e-mail?"

"Shit!" I hear him mutter under his breath, and right at that second, something else pops in mind, as if I had a light bulb moment.

"I also need all security footage from this morning. I'm talking about any and all footage from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m."

"Uh… Um…" He begins to stutter, and I feel my blood begin to boil.

"You do have security cameras in the building, right?"

"Well, we closely monitor the front door and the parking lot."

"That's it?" I ask incredulously.

 _Fuck! Ana has been working in a totally unprotected environment!_

 _Fuck!_

 _FUCK!_

"Yes."

"I will need those as well." I say, internally counting to 10 and back to 1. "I expect to hear back from you before by COB today, Roach. If not, you know what will happen."

"Yes, yes." He stutters again. "I will get back to you today."

"Have a good day." I say and hang up before I look at Barney. "What do you have for me?"

"At least 70 e-mails and they're coming in like wildfire!" Barney says, his fingers typing away so quickly I have a hard time keeping up with them. "I can't give you an idea of what they contain because I will have to go through all of them, but looking at the addresses they're coming from, I'm guessing that most are from private accounts. Some are from magazines and other media stations."

"Copy them all to your server and delete them from SIP's. I don't want her looking at them." I say and look at Welch. "Once Barney has the copies, I want you both to look into any potential threat. You know the drill. Treat Anastasia's safety as you would treat mine."

"What about her private e-mail? And both her phone numbers?" Welch asks.

"I'll get her another phone on my way home today. As for her work number, if things go my way, SIP will be relocating to GEH building before the end of the week." I say with a sigh.

"Do you want me to hack into her personal e-mail?" Barney ask, making me raise an eyebrow at him.

"No!" I say, not really wanting to invade her privacy.

 _Hacking her SIP e-mail wasn't an invasion of her privacy?_

 _That's different!_

 _Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Grey._

"The security footage?" Welch asks, and I let out a groan.

"Someone left a copy of the Nooz on Ana's desk this morning. I want to know who that is." I say and pinch the bridge of my nose again.

 _I'm going to pull out my nose if I keep that up._

"Where are you on finding out who the source was?"

"The guy who wrote the article refused to cooperate at first. When I threatened him with a lawsuit for defamation of character, he sang like a canary. Unfortunately, it was not the song I wanted to hear." Welch says with a sigh. "He said that he was approached by a woman a few days ago, and she gave him the details and all the pictures. He didn't even take any of the picture. He says that he didn't even know who Anastasia was until that woman told him about her, and he had barely heard about you."

"Fucking incompetent asshole!" I curse as I tug at my hair. "I don't think it's anyone from Dr. Greene's practice. That is one of the most reputable clinics in all of Washington State. However, I will not leave that possibility out. Check into that possibility."

"Sir, if I may?" Welch asks, making me only nod at him. "Is Ms. Steele really pregnant?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, she is." I say, wondering where he's going with his question.

"First of all, congratulations." He says with a small smile. "Second of all, who knows about the pregnancy?"

I do a quick check in my head, and I'm soon cursing under my breath as the realization downs on me.

 _Kate fucking Kavanaugh!_

 _I'm going to kill that bitch with my bare hands!_

"Katherine Kavanaugh." I spit out her name. "She's the one who leaked the news. She hates Ana's guts."

"How do you want me to proceed?" Welch asks, and just as I open my mouth to answer him, my phone rings, and I see Taylor's name blinking on the screen.

"What is it, Taylor?" I bark into the phone, praying that nothing is wrong with Ana.

"Sir, Ms. Lincoln is on her way up. She requested to meet with Ms. Steele."

 _FUCK!_

 _Give me a fucking break here!_

 _How the fuck did I not change my codes?!_

 _FUCK!_

"Stay in the room with them. I'm on my way!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Christian's POV**

 **Monday, Jan. 5** **th** **, 2015**

I'm livid as I'm driving home, my mind reeling with all possible scenarios of what I could find when I get there.

Why the fuck would Elena decide to stop by now? I haven't talked to her in months!

My relationship with Elena is unorthodox to say the least. She was the first call-girl I hired when I realized that a normal relationship was not in the books for me, and she is the one who I lost my virginity to. After that first night together, she basically taught me everything I now know about fucking. For the following two years, she was the only one I slept with, but then she went up the ranks at the agency and stopped offering her services for money, but rather managed the work of the other girls at the agency.

We stayed in touch after that. She even helped me in picking out some of the girls I hired over the years. She's the closest thing I have for a friend, and the fact that she wants to meet with Ana now of all times raises all kinds of red flags in my head.

Elena is a beautiful woman; no one in their right mind can deny that. She's tall and lean, and her figure is that of an hourglass. She's kept a very healthy lifestyle, and even though she is now in her early-forties, being 7 years older than I am, one can easily mistake her for a woman in her early 30s, all without the help of any plastic surgery.

I remember the first day I saw her. I was so blown away by her beauty that I only managed to find my voice when she dropped to her knees in front of me and began to suck me off. She did not make fun of me for being a virgin at 21 years, nor did she freak out when I explained about my touch issues. At the time, I didn't tell her why I couldn't stand to be touched, but she accepted regardless. I had thought it was because she was supposed to do anything I asked for; I was paying her after all, but later I realized that call-girls are totally different than prostitutes. They have their lives, their careers, and they just do this for the extra cash.

As time went by, I began to trust Elena more and I ended up telling her everything about my life. I will never forget the tears she shed when she heard about my abused childhood, and the way she wished she could strangle the pimp with her own hands if she could.

One thing I really liked about Elena is that she never got her emotions involved. I was worried that things between us would change if we kept sleeping with each other exclusively, but she assured me that wouldn't happen. And it never did. I just kept hiring her services through the agency, and we never met casually outside of that frame, unless we ran into each other by accident. However, the nights we did spend together were not only dedicated for sex. We hung out sometimes, talked, laughed.

Like I said, she's the closest thing I had for a friend.

When we stopped having sex, we stayed in touch, but never went out in public, then life was too busy for either of us to keep the friendship we had. She kept charge of recommending girls for me, but other than that, we started to drift apart and our friendship became akin to that of two high school friends who meet once or twice a year, knowing that the other is there when they need them to be.

As I park my car in my usual spot, I send out a quick prayer that things upstairs are calm. The fact that Taylor hasn't called to alert me of anything makes me hope for the best, but I know that with everything that has happened today, I cannot keep my hopes up.

However, when I walk into the apartment, I'm shocked into silence, and I know that I must look like an idiot, standing there with my jaw on the floor and my eyes almost bulging out of my skull.

Because right there in the living area, Ana and Elena are sitting in front of each other, laughing, and sipping on juice.

"Baby, you're home early!" Ana's voice breaks me from my shock as I watch her stand up and walk to me with a sincere smile on her face. "Is everything ok?"

"What's going on here?" I ask, looking at Ana then at Elena, who also has a sincere smile on her face.

"I could smack you upside the head for not introducing me to Elena sooner!" Ana says, and for good measure, she does smack me upside the head. "Why didn't you tell me that you have such an amazing friend?"

"Uh… um…" I stutter, not really knowing how to answer that.

 _What the fuck is going on here?_

I quickly look to the side of the room, where I know that Taylor would be standing, and he's looking as confused as I am if not even more. I simply nod at him, silently dismissing him, and he walks away, but not before I hear him mutter something that strangely sounds like _twilight zone_ under his breath.

"It's been a while, Christian." Elena says as she stands up to greet me with a soft kiss on the cheek, making sure not to touch me. "I'm really hurt that Ana and I haven't met until now."

"Sorry?" I ask, not sure if I really should be apologizing.

"Ana invited me to stay over for dinner. I hope that's ok with you, Christian." Elena says, and I can see her hesitation about it.

"Why are you here, Elena?" I finally ask, obviously not able to decipher the situation by simply standing there.

"I wanted to talk to Ana about something. I've been trying to reach her all day, but I couldn't get through, so I decided to just stop by." Elena says with a sigh. "I have something important to tell her, both of you actually."

"I've been ignoring my phone and e-mail all day." Ana says with a roll of her eyes as she moves to sit back on the couch. "No wonder she couldn't reach me."

"If you're here to stir up trouble, I suggest you leave now." I say, my body stiff and my voice controlled, but the anger I'm feeling inside is threatening to bubble out at any second.

"I promise, I'm not." Elena says as she places her hand on her heart.

"Why would she want to do that?" Ana asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Ana…" I begin as I move to sit beside her before I hold her hand in mine. "Elena and I… She's…"

"Yes, I know." Ana says with a warm smile. "I know who she is."

* * *

 **Ana POV**

To say that I'm nervous as I wait for Christian's friend to arrive would be an understatement. Why would this supposed friend decide to show up today of all days? And if she's Christian's friend, why would she want to talk to _me_?

When Taylor announces her arrival, my first reaction is for my jaw to drop on the floor, closely followed by a bout of uncontrolled jealousy that I have never felt before. In front of me is standing a woman who I can only describe as stunning. She's wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, with a red sweater and black knee-high boots. Her blonde hair is falling in waves against her shoulders, and she has minimal makeup on.

She looks like she just stepped out of Vogue, and I look like a bum in my sweats and oversized sweatshirt.

My first instinct is to want to rip her hair out and claw out her eyes, but I take a deep breath to calm down the green monster who wants to claw its way out of my chest.

 _No wonder Christian hasn't introduced me to her yet! He knows I'll react this way._

Then she smiles at me, and it's like every ounce of jealousy I had in me magically disappears. I can't even explain it if I tried, but somehow, that simple smile made me want to welcome her into our house with a hug.

"Ana, I'm really sorry about barging in here like that." She says as she approached me with an extended hand. "I'm Elena Lincoln, a longtime friend of Christian's."

"Hi, I'm Ana Steele, Christian's girlfriend, but I'm guessing you already know that." I say as I shake her hand.

"Yes, I do, and I'm really sorry about the negative crap the Nooz has said about you. I'm sure you're nothing like that." She says, that same warm smile still on her face.

I pride myself by being a good judge of character, and quickly so, but I don't want to trust my instincts just yet. We've barely exchanged a few words, but somehow, I feel good about her.

 _Pregnancy hormones must be getting to my head._

"Would you like something to drink?"

"A glass of orange juice would be great." She says, and I simply nod. As I start to make my way to the kitchen, Gail comes out and smiles at Elena.

"Ms. Lincoln, it's great to see you again." Gail says as she and Elena embrace in a quick hug, quickly setting my mind on ease more.

Anyone who greets Gail with such warmth is good in my books.

"Same here, Gail. How are you?"

"I'm good." Gail says with a smile of her own.

"Gail, could you get us two glasses of orange juice?" I ask, even though I hate to ask her to serve us, but I'm quite curious to see what Elena has to say and I don't want to leave her alone for a second. It's obvious that she's been here before, enough to be friendly with Gail.

"Of course, Ana." Gail says as she smiles at me, but it's more of a reassuring smile rather than her usual motherly one.

It's like she's silently telling me that I have nothing to worry about when it comes to Elena.

"Shall we move to the living area?" I ask, earning a nod from Elena. "I'm sorry about my appearance, but I wasn't expecting guests."

"Oh don't worry about that sweetie, I can only imagine how you're feeling after that article." She says and sits down, then she looks at me with almost sympathetic eyes. "I've been trying to reach you all day, to be honest, but I haven't been able to get through."

"Excuse me?" I ask, immediately going on high alert with that simple sentence.

"Just like everyone else who has been trying to reach you, I was able to get your phone number and e-mail address. They're online." She says, actually looking apologetic. "I wanted to talk to you about something important. Christian should know about this as well, but I thought I'd leave it up to you if you want to tell him."

"Why didn't you call Christian first?"

"Because I wanted you to hear this from me, not him." She says and takes a deep breath. "First of all, before I start with anything else, let me introduce myself properly. I'm Elena Lincoln, manager and planner at Olympiann Agency for Escorts."

"Oh." I say, then her words begin to really sink in. "Oooooh."

"I take it by your reaction that Christian has told you about his previous experiences." Elena says as she crosses her legs, and for a minute, I'm actually surprised by myself that I don't want to kick her out.

"Yes, he did." I say with a nod. "I take it that you and Christian have…"

"I was his first hire back in the day." Elena says with her own nod. "He was still starting up his company and didn't know how to handle his whole touch issues. I'd like to think I helped him out a bit with that."

"I see." I say just as Gail walks in carrying a tray with two glasses of orange juice and a plate of fruit, cheese, and crackers. "Thank you, Gail."

"You're welcome, Ana." Gail says before she quickly retreats to the kitchen to continue working on dinner.

"I'm sorry you weren't able to get a hold of me today, but I've been ignoring my phone and e-mail all day." I say as I take a sip of my juice.

"I imagined as much, that's why I decided to come here." Elena says and takes a deep breath. "Listen, Ana. I'm sure by now you think that I'm here to stake some sort of claim on Christian. I'm not. Christian is nothing but a friend to me, and I'd like for that friendship to remain, if you don't have any problem with it of course. I can understand if you don't want us talking to each other again, given our history, but let me assure you, that Christian and I haven't been intimate in years. Once I went up the ranks at the agency, I stopped working directly with clients, but the friendship Christian and I built during our interaction remained for a while. Then life got in the way and we stayed in touch, but nothing beyond that."

"When was the last time you two spoke or saw each other?" I ask, and I relax when I see her take a moment to actually think about it.

"Last time I saw Christian was back in June, if I'm not mistaken. We ran into each other at an event of some sort, I couldn't remember which one if my life depended on it, to be honest." She says with a snort. "And last time we spoke was back in September, I think."

I relax more with her answer. He hasn't been hiding me from her or her from me. She just never came up in a conversation. And given just how crazy things started out between Christian and I, I can't really fault him that.

"Good." I say, and I can visibly see her relax with my response. "However, I would like to ask you to keep whatever information you wanted to tell me until Christian comes here, which I can only assume would be any minute now, if I know Taylor at all." I joke and look at Taylor, who I had noticed didn't leave the room at all since Elena arrived.

Taylor just shrugs at us and actually smiles when Elena throws him a wink.

"Yeah, I imagined so as well. Christian is very protective of the people he loves. I can only imagine what is going through his head right now."

"He must be on the edge of a nervous breakdown, given the day we had." I say with a roll of my eyes. "But until he gets here, how about you tell me more about yourself?"

"What do you want to know?"

"How the hell did you become a call girl?" I ask, my brain-to-mouth filter obviously broken, and as soon as the words leave my mouth, my eyes grow wide in horror. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! That was very rude of me!"

The laugh that Elena gives out makes me feel slightly better, but I still can't believe I just blurted that out!

"Don't worry about it, dear!" Elena says once she stops laughing. "I was still a college student when I started working at Olympiann, studying to get a degree in Business Administration. Money was short and I was struggling to make ends meet. My roommate at the time was already working with Olympian, and she hooked me up with them. The extra cash was amazing, but it wasn't enough to keep me at school when my parents died in a car accident when I was in my third year. So, I dropped out of school and continued working at the agency."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I say, not exactly sure if I'm sorry about her parent, or about her having to stay working at the agency, or both.

"It's ok." She says with a shrug. "I love my job. Olympian is a very respected agency, both for the girls and the clients. We cater to Seattle's elite, and we have contracts in place for the protection of our girls more than that of the clients. We don't tolerate abuse or humiliation of our girls, and we make sure that all girls are working with us because they want to, not because they are forced to."

"I see." I say with a nod.

"We try to keep our client list limited, catering to those with specific needs, like Christian for example. We try to avoid married men who only want to cheat on their wives for the sake of cheating. Some men out there are just too busy to have a relationship, but they still have needs that they want met, so we provide that in a safe and clean environment. It comes at a price, of course, but I guess it's better than the cheaper option."

"I guess." I say and look at her. She looks so relaxed as she talks about her job, and I can only imagine that's she's really at peace with herself and what she does. "Would you like to stay for dinner? I'd really love to get to know you more."

"Are you sure?" She asks, and I can tell she's a bit skeptical about my declaration.

"Yes." I say and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "I don't know what it is, but something tells me you and I are going to get along just fine."

"I think so too." She says with a wink, and we clink our glasses at that.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Taylor look at his phone, and somehow, I know that Christian is on his way up.

"How much do you want to bet that Christian probably broke every traffic regulation there is on his way here?" I ask, making her give out another laugh.

"Oh sweetie, I won't bet on an issue I know is true. I'm surprised he didn't get here sooner." She says, making me laugh in return, just as the elevator dings and Christian walks out.

As soon as he sees the two of us sitting there and laughing, her freezes in his spot, his mouth hanging open and his eyes almost as big as saucers.

"Baby, you're home early!" I say as I walk up to greet him, making him get over his shock, slightly. "Is everything ok?"

"What's going on here?" He asks, looking at me then at Elena, who has a sincere smile on her face.

"I could smack you upside the head for not introducing me to Elena sooner!" I say before I actually do that. "Why didn't you tell me that you have such an amazing friend?"

"Uh… um…" He stutters, and I have to hold back my laughter at his still shocked reaction.

"It's been a while, Christian." Elena says as she stands up to greet him with a soft kiss on the cheek, making sure not to touch him. "I'm really hurt that Ana and I haven't met until now."

"Sorry?" He asks, and I can't control the giggle that leaves my lips.

"Ana invited me to stay over for dinner. I hope that's ok with you, Christian." Elena says, and I can see her hesitation about it.

"Why are you here, Elena?" Christian finally asks, and I realize that he's wondering the same thing I did when I first saw her.

"I wanted to talk to Ana about something. I've been trying to reach her all day, but I couldn't get through, so I decided to just stop by." Elena says with a sigh. "I have something important to tell her, both of you actually."

"I've been ignoring my phone and e-mail all day." I say with a roll of my eyes as I move to sit back on the couch. "No wonder she couldn't reach me."

"If you're here to stir up trouble, I suggest you leave now." Christian says, and I can see his muscles tense up.

"I promise, I'm not." Elena says as she places her hand on her heart.

"Why would she want to do that?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Ana…" Christian begins as he moves to sit beside me, then he takes my hand in hi. "Elena and I… She's…"

"Yes, I know." I say with a warm smile, and I'm still surprised that I'm not feeling any ounce of jealousy towards Elena. "I know who she is."

"Excuse me?" Christian asks, and he quickly looks at Elena with angry eyes. "You had no place to tell her!"

"Hey! Look at me!" I say and grab his face between my hands to force him to look at me. "Don't go off on her because we've both had a shitty day. She didn't flat out tell me who she is, she introduced herself and I put two and two together. Would you rather had her lie to me?"

"She shouldn't have come here in the first place!" Christian snaps, making Elena quickly stand to her feet.

"Elena, please, have a seat." I tell her, giving her an apologetic look, and thankfully, she sits back down. "I already told you, she's been trying to reach me all day, but no thanks to Kate fucking Kavanaugh, the entire world now knows my contact information!"

"You know it's Kate?" Christian asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Can we not talk about her now?" I ask with a sigh.

"Actually, we have to." Elena says, making both Christian and I look at her with shocked eyes. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about, but judging by what you just called her, I'm guessing she's not your friend, is she?"

"Fuck to the no, she's not!" I huff. "That _thing_ is toxic and evil and vile!"

"I see." Elena says and runs her fingers through her hair.

"How do you know Kate?" Christian asks as he tugs at his hair, making me reach out and pull his hands away from his head.

 _I love that hair! He's going to lose it all if he keeps that up!_

"She's been calling Olympian for the past week or so, trying to get confirmation that you've used our services before. She didn't account for the privacy clause of our contracts, but even after the assistants repeatedly told her that we cannot and will not disclose any kind of information, she kept calling."

"Why didn't you tell me as soon as it happened?" Christian cuts her off, his body tense and rigid.

"Because I was in the Bahamas and I just came back on Friday, now let me finish!" Elena says, and I have to hold back my giggle at the way she basically told Christian to shut up. "On Saturday, Jessica called me and told me what was going on, so I took matters in my hand and I called Kate, wanting to see where she was going with this. I know her father owns one of the big newspapers here, and I didn't want either your name or ours splashed all over the media."

"What did she tell you?" I now ask.

"I met with her Saturday evening. She pretended to be your best friend, and that she was worried about your relationship with Christian. At first, I didn't believe that Christian was in a relationship in the first place, but then she started giving details about your time together and how you spent the holidays; details that only someone close to you both would know." Elena says with a sigh. "She said that she was worried that Christian is a sex addict and that she wanted to get proof to give you so that you break up with him."

"What did you tell her?" Christian asks, obviously worried by where this is going.

"I simply gave her a copy of our contract, pointed out the privacy clause, and walked out." She says with a shrug, making Christian groan.

"So you didn't really deny it, but you didn't confirm it either."

"I think the fact that's she's been relentless about calling Olympian shows that she already knows your involvement with them, Christian." I say and run my fingers through my hair. "I'm seriously going to kill her."

"What does she have against Ana anyway?" Elena asks as she looks at Christian. "Is she an angry ex or something?"

"She's Elliot's ex, and I'm going to kill him too for even mentioning it to her that I've used Olympian's services in the past!"

"Elliot would never do that!" I gasp just as Elena's eyes grow in surprise.

"Elliot dated _that_?" she asks, making both Christian and I snort in response. "But I'm with Ana on this one, I know I don't really know Elliot, but I can't imagine him mentioning that in front of anyone, not even his girlfriend. But still, that doesn't explain why she's going against Ana the way she is."

"Have you read the Nooz today?" Christian asks, receiving a nod from Elena. "I believe she's the one behind it. I found out that the reporter was approached by a woman who gave him all the pictures and the information."

"Again, why would she do that?"

"Kate and I used to be close friends, then her brother came out, and he started dating my best friend, and she showed her true colors."

"Hateful homophobic bitch?" Elena asks with a raised eyebrow.

"That's putting it mildly." Christian says with a sigh. "But I don't believe that's the reason she's doing this. Kate has been nothing but a rude bitch to all of us since day one, but my parents tolerated her for Elliot's sake. However, when I met Ana and Elliot met Ethan, that's Kate's brother, for the first time, I think he really began to realize just how toxic she is. Eventually, he broke up with her on Christmas day in front of everyone."

"I don't see where Ana comes in all of this."

"Ana met my parents for the first time on Christmas day, and they fell in love with her the minute they saw her. She got all the attention and respect that Kate has been dying to get since she and Elliot started dating. Then Elliot dumped her sorry ass, leaving Ana with a connection to the Grey name and her with nothing."

"So, by calling Ana a gold-digger, she wants your family to hate her and push you towards breaking up with her, and at the same time, she's not making it hard to figure out she's the one after all of this. I can only imagine that she wants Ana to blame Elliot for everything."

"I would never do that!" I gasp and look at Christian, wanting him to believe me. "You know that, right baby? I could never blame Elliot for anything!"

"Yes, baby. I know that." Christian says with a small smile.

Just as I open my mouth to say something else, Gail walks in announcing that dinner will be served in 20 minutes. Christian asks her to prepare a placement for Elena, making bother her and I smile at him.

"I'm going to get out of this suit quickly." Christian says as he stands up, then he looks at Elena and points a finger at her. "Don't tell her anything!" He says, but I can tell by the smile on his face that he's only joking.

"I already did!" Elena says, and for a split second, Christian looks at me with panic.

"She's messing with you!" I laugh, making him visibly relax. "But I will be asking for details now that you're leaving us alone!"

"You two are going to gang up on me, aren't you?" Christian asks once he realized that both Elena and I are just pulling his leg.

"Yes, dear." Elena and I say at the same time, making him let out a loud groan and head to the bedroom, all the while muttering under his breath.

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Elena." I say once Christian is out of earshot. "I can't imagine how stressful this must be for him."

"What about you?" She asks with a raised eyebrow. "Christian is a great guy, I know that, but you need to think about yourself as well. You need to think about how this is making you feel. You're the one who's being plastered all over the media."

"As long as the people who matter the most don't believe that, I'm ok." I say with a shrug. "My phone number and e-mail address can both be easily changed. It's not like I'm such an important person with great connections that changing this information would damage me. The only thing I'm worried about it my work, but I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out about it."

"You do realize that you will not have any more privacy after today, right?" Elena says, and I sadly nod at her.

I know that after everything that happened today, Christian will not let me go anywhere alone. He mentioned that he's hiring a CPO for me, and I really can't fault him that. If I was the only one in question here, I would've fought tooth and nail about this, but I'm not.

I have to worry about the safety of our baby as well.

"So, it's true?" Elena asks as she looks at my stomach, and I realize that I'm holding my hand against it protectively.

I simply shrug at her with a small smile.

"Oh my God!" She gasp excitedly. "That is so great to hear! Christian is going to be an amazing dad!"

"Yes, he will be." I say, the smile not leaving my face, but then Elena's face falls.

"I'm really sorry! I thought it was just a rumor." She says and moves to sit beside me and hold my hand. "If I had known that it's true, I would've gone straight to Christian about this. You don't need the added stress. I just wanted to let you know what happened and to warn you about your supposed friend, who isn't your friend in the first place. I've known Christian for years, that's why I could never believe it when she told me that she was worried about your relationship with him. But like I said, if I had known that you really are…"

"It's ok, Elena." I say as I gently squeeze on her hand, as a sign of reassurance. "You couldn't have known."

"Are you hitting on my girlfriend, Elena?" Christian asks as he walks back into the room, wearing a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt.

"I don't hit on attached women, you know that." Elena says with a roll of her eyes, then she looks at me and throws me a flirtatious wink. "But, if you were single, you would've been a fair game."

"Wait… I thought…" I look at her in confusion, then at Christian, then back at her.

"I'm bi, sweetie." Elena says with a grin. "Why settle for one gender when you can have both?"

"True." I say with a nod, making Christian look at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Baby?"

"I'm not switching teams, baby." I say, making him let out a small sigh. "Yet."

"You two are going to be the death of me!" Christian says as he points his finger at us, making me and Elena simply laugh at him.

* * *

"So, how can I help bring the bitch down?" Elena asks once we're back in the living room after dinner, where she and Christian are enjoying a glass of wine and I'm enjoying my herbal tea.

Both Christian and I look at her with surprise at the passion in her question.

"Don't look so surprised." Elena says after she takes a sip of her wine. "You know I value our friendship, Christian, and after today, I think it's safe to say that Ana and I can be really good friends as well. I'm very protective of my friends and their loved ones, and you, all three of you, matter to me. So, how can I help bring down the bitch?"

"Right now, my top priority is Ana's safety. Once I'm sure of that, I can move to Kate and her destruction." Christian says as he wraps his arms around my shoulder.

"Where does she work? I think I might want to pay her a visit and hit on her a bit, now that I know just how homophobic she is." Elena says with a wicked smile, making me giggle at the possibility.

 _I would love to be a fly on the wall when that happens!_

"She doesn't work. Last I heard she was living off her dad's money being the spoiled brat she is." I say.

"Oh I'm going to love making her pay!" Elena says as she finishes her wine and stands up. "I would love to stay longer, but I have to get back to the office. Going on vacation might be fun, but it sure can bite you in the ass when you get back."

"I'll walk you out." Christian says as he stands up as well, making me stand up to hug Elena.

"It was great meeting you." I say once she pulls away from our quick hug.

"Make sure to have Christian give me your new number. We should definitely arrange for something." Elena says before she waves goodbye and walks to the door, closely followed by Christian.

I quickly gather the glasses and take them to the kitchen, and I smile when I feel Christian wrap his arms around my waist as I stand by the sink to rinse the glasses.

"How are you feeling?" He asks against my shoulder, making me let out a small sigh.

"With you holding me like this? I've never been better."

"I mean about today." He says as he turns me around to look at me while he rests his arms around my neck and over my shoulders.

"It was annoying at best and scary at worst." I say with a shrug. "I saw the pictures." I admit without looking at him.

"I thought Jose took the magazine before you could look at it."

"Online." I say, making Christian drop his arms and step away.

"Did you read the article?"

"No."

"Thank fuck." He says and lets out a breath in a long huff. "I don't want that kind of crap in your head, baby. You need to take care of your health and your blood pressure. These things will only shoot your blood pressure through the roof."

"I know, that's why I didn't read the article and didn't look at any of the e-mail I got."

"I need to talk to you about that, by the way." Christian says and tugs at his hair again.

"What's wrong?"

"Your work e-mail is now monitored."

"I know." I say, making him look at me with confusion. "The IT department already monitors all e-mails. That's why I'm only worried about that. I'll change my personal e-mail address and phone number, that's easy. But my professional contact information, that's what I'm going to have a problem with."

"Baby, SIP's IT department is good for nothing. Barney was able to hack into their server in 5 minutes."

"Oh my God! Christian! That's illegal!" I gasp, my eyes growing wide with shock. "Why would you do that? You could jeopardize everything you've worked for if they trace the hack back to GEH."

"I got an approval from Jerry Roach before I went through with it." Christian says as he picks me up and sits me on the kitchen counter before he moves to stand between my legs. "That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about, but your e-mails first."

"Ok?"

"Every e-mail you will receive now will go through GEH server before it reaches you. From now on, you will only be receiving e-mails related to work."

"What about the crazy amount of e-mails that are waiting in my inbox?"

"Barney removed them. I don't want you looking at them, I don't want you even thinking about them."

"Ok." I say with a nod, and he looks at me with wide eyes. "Why are you surprised?"

"I thought you would put up a fight about this."

"Christian, I'm a 25 years old girl, who has accounts on different social media outlets. I know how crazy fans get when the object of their affection is suddenly off the market. You're one of Seattle's most desired men, and you chose me. I'm sure there are many women out there who are burning pictures of me over a sacrificial alter and stabbing voodoo dolls that look like me with knives."

"Women do that?" Christian asks, and he's genuinely shocked by what I just said, making me giggle at his reaction.

"What will you be doing with the e-mails?"

"They will be filtered, and any threat that Welch and Taylor deem real will be dealt with." Christian says as he runs his fingers through my hair.

"What about my phone number? That can't be easily monitored."

Because I'm a junior editor, I don't get an assistant who can screen my calls for me. Instead, all calls come directly to my desk and I deal with them personally.

"That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about." Christian says and takes a deep breath, and with that simple move, I know that I'm not going to like what he tells me. "I'm in the process of buying SIP out."

"WHAT?" I shriek as I push him away from me and slide off the counter. "You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding!"

"No, I'm not kidding. If things go according to plan, by next week, SIP will relocate to GEH and all phone lines will be monitored. You'll have your own assistant who will make sure that you only get calls related to work or those from pre-approved people."

"Damn it, Christian! I'm going to have to quit my job now! I can't work for you!"

"It's not like I'm giving you the company on a silver platter, Ana! I'm just going to be the one who owns it. You won't have to answer to me anymore than you do now!"

I look at him for a long minute while I try to calm myself down. I don't need to get angry. I really don't.

"Did you wonder how you got the copy of the Nooz this morning?" Christian asks, and I realize that it never really occurred to me how the magazine ended on my desk. "When I talked to Roach, I asked for all security footage from your floor, and guess what? There aren't any. The only monitoring happening at SIP is for the front door and the parking lot. You work at a building that is a security hazard to say the least, and I will not have you sitting there for anyone to harm you!"

"You're getting me a CPO!" I yell.

"Who can easily be neutralized if someone has their mind set on hurting you!" Christian yells back, and with that one sentence, I feel the air leave my lungs in a huff and I stagger back against the counter.

 _Fuck!_

 _Fuck, fuckity, fuck!_

"Shit!" I hear Christian gasp as he runs to me and holds my face in his hands, making me look at him. "Baby, no one will hurt you. I promise. I will never allow anyone to hurt you."

"Our baby." I stutter out, only caring about our unborn child.

"No one will hurt you or the baby. I swear." Christian says, and I look in his eyes, looking for any kind of assurance that I know he will not be able to offer me.

He can't be sure of that.

He can't be sure that no one will get to me.

I start to feel dizzy as I keep looking at Christian, but my vision becomes blurry and the last thing I hear is the sound of buzzing in my ears and Christian's voice calling my name from a distance.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks Colleen for the song choice!**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Ana POV**

 **Monday, Jan. 5** **th** **, 2015**

When I open my eyes, my vision is a bit blurry but the one thing that is really annoying me is the pounding headache I feel in my skull. Once my eyes adjust properly, I'm surprised to see Grace's motherly face smiling warmly at me.

 _Grace?_

"She's coming to." I hear her say, and within seconds, I see Christian in front of me, with unshed tears in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." He repeats as he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in a crushing hug.

"What happened?" I ask as I try to push Christian away from me, not because I don't want him near, but because I need to breathe.

"You fainted, sweet girl." Grace says as she offers me a glass of water, which I greedily take and down in one gulp. "How do you feel? Are you feeling any cramps?"

"No." I say after I do a quick check with my head. "I just have a bad headache."

"Your blood pressure is a bit high." Grace says as she looks at the monitor that is now on the table beside her. She must've taken my pressure while I was out of it. "You need to sit back and relax."

"Ok." I say, quickly lying back on the couch.

"I'm really sorry." Christian says, but he doesn't move to touch me or get closer to me.

"Stop apologizing."

"I did this."

"You were afraid for our safety." I say, not bothering to deny that I did faint because of the fear I felt after hearing what he said. "How long was I out?"

"No longer than 5 minutes." I hear Grace answer, making me open my eyes and look at her with confusion.

"We were already in the elevator when you fainted, dear." Grace says with a warm smile. "We heard you had a rough day, and wanted to check on you."

"Mom!" Christian snaps, making both Grace and I look at him with wide eyes. "We will not be talking about today again! Ana needs to rest and she definitely needs to stop thinking about it."

"Not talking about it doesn't mean that I will not think about it, Christian!" I snap back at him. I don't know why I'm angry at him, I really don't. "Today was a fuckup of epic proportions, sorry Grace, and I need to figure out what I will do about my job since I will not be working for my boyfriend!"

"For crying out loud, Ana! I only want you and our baby safe! Is that too much to ask?" Christian says through grit teeth, and I'm sure he's not yelling because his mother is here.

And so is his father, apparently, who has just walked out of the kitchen.

"Christian, what does Ana mean by that?" Grace asks as she raises a perfect eyebrow at her son.

"Your son is in the process of buying the publishing house at which I work, and he says it's for my own safety!" I spit out as I get off the couch, but since I moved too quickly, the world spins and I have to sit back down.

"Ana, baby. Please." Christian begs as he reaches for my arm, but I quickly pull it away from him. I don't miss the look of utter hurt that flashes over his face, but right at that moment, I don't really give a fuck about how he feels.

He didn't give a fuck about how I would feel when he decided to buy SIP.

"What's going on, kids?" Carrick asks as he exchanges confused look between Christian and I, but when we don't answer him, he simply looks at Grace.

"Christian is buying the publishing house where Ana works, and she doesn't want to be working for him."

"Oh son." Carrick groans. "Why the hell would you do something like that?"

"Carrick! Language!" Grace admonishes, but Carrick just shrugs at her.

"Because Ana is a sitting duck at the old building! Their security is shit, and their IT department is even worse! I can only do so much legally to keep her safe!" Christian snaps, never taking his eyes off me as he answers his father.

"Do you have any idea how it will make me look when everyone finds out you bought SIP?"

"Quite frankly, I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks or says!"

"Christian!" Grace gasps. "Language, please!"

"I give a fuck! It's my professional reputation at stake here!" I say and stand up again, luckily, without getting dizzy this time. "I couldn't care less if people thought I was a gold-digging whore who got pregnant to trap you, because at the end of the day, what matters is what you and those closest to us think. But when it comes to my reputation, you can bet your sweet ass that I give a fuck!"

"Anastasia!" Grace gasps again, but Christian doesn't even give her the chance to say anything else or me the chance to apologize.

"And you can bet your sweet ass I care more about your safety than I care about your career! You don't even have to work!" Christian yells and jumps to his feet as well. "You'll only be working for the next 8 months anyway. Why would you care about your job when you'll be quitting when the baby is here?"

The room suddenly goes deadly silent as Grace, Carrick, and I look at Christian as if he had grown a second head.

"Excuse me?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips and raising my eyebrow at him. "What did you just say?"

"What?" He asks, genuinely confused by our reaction.

 _Oh hell no._

"I'm going to ask you one question, Christian, and if I were you, I would be careful how to answer it." I say, my voice leveled and controlled. "Are you expecting me to quit my job after I have the baby?"

"Christian…" I hear Carrick warn from behind me, but he quickly goes quiet when Grace throws him a glare.

"Of course you'll quit! Our baby will not be raised by nannies!"

"Oh, you did not just say that!" I say as I take quick steps so that I'm standing right in front of him before I start poking him in the chest. "You mediaeval backwards cave-man! I will not put my career on hold once I become a mother, nor because you said so."

"Mom! Tell her she's being irrational!" Christian says as he looks at his mother, but his face quickly falls when he sees the look on her face. "What?"

"Christian, Ana is right." Carrick now speaks, because he knows that Grace will probably smack her son upside the head if he didn't step in. "You can't expect her to put her career on hold because she's a mother. Your mother never quit her job when we adopted you. Every working mother out there can manage her time between her work and her home."

"But Ana doesn't have to!" Christian says with an exasperated sigh before he looks at me again. "You really don't have to! It's not like you will need the money!"

"Oh my God!" I groan and turn to look at Grace. "Would you talk to him? I'm afraid I'm going to strangle him if he keeps spewing this crap out of his mouth!"

With that, I quickly walk to the kitchen, simply because I can't stand to stay in the same room with him at the moment.

I hear footsteps behind me, and when I look back, I see Carrick standing at the door, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I come in peace!"

"I'm sorry, but can you blame me?" I ask as I take out the orange juice from the fridge and fill up a glass. I hold the bottle up for Carrick in a silent question, but he just shakes his head.

"No, I can't, but you need to worry about your blood pressure rather than what Christian says."

"Well, he needs to make sure not to piss me off!" I say as I reach for the medicine cabinet and take out the pills that Dr. Greene prescribed me for the headaches. I throw two pills in my mouth and wash them down with some juice before I look at Carrick again. "I totally understand that he worries about my safety, especially since it's not only me at stake here, but you can't tell me that the only option he had to ensure that was buying SIP!"

"I can't talk about something I don't have all the details for, Ana." Carrick says, sounding like the lawyer he is. "However, I will tell you this. Christian loves you, and he would move heaven and earth to make sure you're happy and safe. I never imagined a day would come where I would be sitting here talking to his girlfriend and mother of his child, but the fact that I am shows me just how special you are, and how important you are to him. I know we don't know you much, and that we've only met you a week or so ago, but believe me when I tell you, Grace and I think of you the same way we think of Mia. You're part of our family now, and that alone puts you under the spotlight." He says and takes a deep breath. "I don't want to scare you, Ana, believe me, but the things I've seen as a lawyer can make your skin crawl. There are crazy people out there, and they're real, and when they put their mind to something, they are willing to go the extra hundred miles to make it happen. Christian only wants you safe, as safe as you can possibly be, and to him, that is buying out SIP and relocating it to GEH."

"He's hiring me a CPO." I say, but my voice is not as strong as it was, simply because Carrick's words touched me at a deeper level.

"And I'm sure he's only getting you one of the best people out there to be in charge of your safety." Carrick says as he reaches to hold my hand across the table. "But he's only one person against all the crazies out there."

"What about him wanting me to quit my job when the baby is here?" I ask, and Carrick just raises his hands up in surrender as he shakes his head.

"Oh sweetie, that is one whole Christian dug himself into and I am not even going there!" Carrick says, making me laugh at his reaction.

"Carrick, honey. I think it's time we head home now." Grace says as she walks into the kitchen, closely followed by a clearly admonished Christian. "These two need to talk things through, and we need to get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yes, dear." Carrick says as he stands up from his seat, but not before giving me a warm smile. "We'll see ourselves out. Good night, kids."

"Good night." Both Christian and I say, but we don't say anything else even after we hear the ding of the elevator indicating their departure.

For a good 5 minutes, we just stand in the kitchen, staring at each other in complete silence.

I don't know what he's expecting me to say, but until he apologizes for his crazy idea of me quitting, I will not be discussing anything else with him.

"I don't understand why you don't want to quit your job." Christian finally says, and I literally let out a frustrated scream.

 _So much for Grace talking some sense into him!_

"I'm going to take a shower, then I'm going to get some sleep. I have a long day tomorrow and too many manuscripts to review." I say and leave the kitchen, and I can tell he's following me by the sound of his fast footsteps.

"Are you fucking crazy?" He yells after me. "You will not be leaving the apartment tomorrow! Did you not see the amount of reporters outside of SIP today?"

"Yes, I did see the crazy amount of reporters, and not once did I say that I will going to the office!" I yell back as I pull my clothes out from my drawers forcefully, making other clothes fall out. "If you had heard what I said, I only said that I have a long day! Not once did I mention that I'm leaving the apartment!"

"Ok, I'm sorry. I over reacted here."

"Here? Just here?" I snap and turn to look at him, and I'm sure my eyes are burning with fury. "And what, pray tell, the fuck do you call what you did out there? Under reacting?"

"I seriously don't know what you want me to tell you, Anastasia!" Christian yells before he takes a deep breath and tugs at his hair. "Don't you think you're being a bit hormonal?"

 _Oh fuck to the hell to the no!_

 _He did not just say that!_

"Hormonal?" I ask, my voice deathly low. "You think I'm being hormonal? I'll fucking show you hormonal!"

By the end of my sentence, I'm literally screaming as I'm throwing different items of clothing at him.

"This is me being hormonal, asshole!" I yell as I throw my nightgown at him. "And my hormonal ass says you're not sleeping here tonight!"

"You can't be fucking serious!" Christian yells as I push him outside of the room.

"Oh, I'm fucking serious. I'm hormonally fucking serious!"

With that, I slam the door in his face, and lock it for good measure before I break down in tears.

 _I can't believe him! I can't believe his audacity!_

 _Hormonal my ass!_

After a few minutes of crying silently, I make my way to the bathroom, wanting to relax in a bath, but as soon as I see Christian's toiletries by the sink, I start crying again.

 _Ok, maybe I'm a bit more hormonal today than usual._

 _Fucking Kate Kavanaugh and her jealous ass._

Deciding on a shower instead of a bath, I quickly discard of my clothes and step under the hot stream, allowing my tears to mix with the running water. Within seconds, I'm openly sobbing, and I can't seem to be able to control my tears. I'm not really sure what I'm crying about. It could be my fight with Christian, since for all intents and purposes, this is our first official fight as a couple. Or it could be about the shitty day I've had. Or it could be about Christian buying SIP. Or it could be a combination of all.

No matter what the reason is, all I know is that I can't stop crying, and once I feel Christian's fully clothed arms wrap around my shaking body, I cry even harder.

"I'm so sorry, baby. Please." He whispers against my ear as he sits down on the shower floor and wraps his arms protectively around me, both of us directly under the water stream. "Ana, baby, please. You're going to make yourself sick."

"I… can't… stop… crying…" I hiccup between sobs, and I feel like I'm close to hyperventilating.

"It's ok..." Christian whispers as he rubs his arms over my back, then he starts singing softly into my ear. For the life of me, I can't figure out what song he's singing, but it has the desired effect as I begin to calm down, my sobs slowly turning into whimpers until I eventually stop crying.

"There you go." Christian says as he looks down at me with a loving smile. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have reacted that way." I say as I take a deep breath and move the wet hair from my face. "You're fully clothed."

"I was terrified when I heard you sobbing, I didn't think about getting undressed."

"How did you get in anyway? I locked the door." I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"I have extra keys for all rooms in the house." He says with a small shrug, making me just smile and reach up to kiss him softly.

"Remove your clothes and join me?" I ask, and he only nods before he stands up and starts undressing himself in the middle of the shower. I stay seated in my place, looking up at him as he removes one item then the next, and by the time he removes his boxers, I have to hold myself back from jumping his bones right there.

"Don't bite your lip, Ana." Christian says, his voice husky and laden with desire, making me look up at him through my lashes. "You know what that does to me."

"Sorry?"

"Come, let me wash you." Christian says with a snicker as he helps me up, fully knowing I'm not one bit apologetic about biting my lip.

He reaches for my shampoo and begins to wash my hair, silently asking me just to enjoy the attention. Once my hair is washed and conditioned, he reaches for the scentless shower-gel, and lathers up a foam on his hands before he starts rubbing my shoulders then my back.

I feel him kneel behind me before he starts washing my feet and legs, going up to my ass, where he gently rubs it a few times.

"One day, I'm going to claim this ass, Ana." He whispers before he gently bites my left cheek, and I feel my breath hitch in my throat. "You like that idea?"

"Yes." I breath, earning me another bite on the other cheek.

"Turn around." He asks before he lathers more foam on his hands then starts washing my hands then up my arms, then he moves to my abdomen, completely bypassing my breasts.

An involuntary whimper leaves my lips when he falls to his knees again and he places a soft, long kiss on the spot where our baby is growing, and I feel tears sting the back of my eyes at his gesture. He then moves his lips a little lower, and places a long kiss right at the edge of where I crave him the most, and I instinctively reach out to run my fingers through his hair.

"Not here." He whispers as he stands up to his feet, making me whimper again. "I don't want you slipping down."

He doesn't allow me to say anything else as he starts washing my breasts, and by washing, I mean massaging and rubbing until my nipples are standing up for attention. When he's satisfied that's I'm clean, he pulls me under the stream to wash away the suds, then turns the water off.

"Stay here." He says, quickly stepping out of the shower and leaving a trail of water behind him. Seconds later, he comes back with a towel wrapped around his waist, and two towels in his hands. He wraps one around my body and the other around my hair, and just as I move to step out, he lifts me up in his arms, making me give out a loud squeal.

I don't say anything else as he sits me at the edge of the bed and starts drying me out with the towel. Once he's sure that not a single drop of water is left on my skin, he moves to towel-dry my hair. He then reaches for my hairbrush and starts brushing my long locks, then asks me to turn around so that he can braid my hair.

After 10 minutes of his undivided attention, he moves me to face him again. He then discards his towel, and I can't help but bite my lip at the sight of his hard erection, pointing at me, asking for my attention.

Before I can even reach out to stroke him, Christian pushes me back on the bed and his lips swallow the moan that leaves me. His kiss is desperate and passionate, like he's trying to tell me something with it, but I can't figure it out. His lips dance over mine expertly, then his tongue sneaks out to tickle mine.

For a long minute, we only just lay there kissing. Then I feel the tips of his fingers run over my body gently, in a feather-like movements. I feel my back arch once his fingers reach my tender breasts, and a loud moan leaves my throat when his lips attach to my neck.

I feel my leg spread open to accommodate his presence above me, and I know that he only needs to move a fraction of an inch to enter me. However, he stays where he is, giving his undivided attention to my neck with his lips and to my breasts with his hands.

"Christian." I moan out his name as I feel myself approaching my climax. I've always had extra sensitive breasts, but now that I'm pregnant, Christian could make me cum with minimum effort only by playing with them.

"Let go." He whispers against my ear, and I do just that. My back arches against the bed as I feel my world begin to spin with pleasure, and by the time I come down from my high, I realize that Christian has moved down so that his head is between my legs.

Before I can even say anything, his lips attack my wet, sensitive folds, and I cry out at the sensation his tongue brings me. He alternates between licking my nether lips and sucking on my swollen bundle of nerves. Sooner than I thought possible, I feel myself rising again, and my walls begin to flutter as he inserts two finger inside me.

I feel him insert a third finger, but he quickly pulls that out, and then I feel him pressing it against my rosebud, making me instinctively tense up.

"Relax, baby." Christian whispers before he buries his face between my legs again, making me take a deep breath and will myself to relax. Once he realizes that I'm as relaxed as I can be, he rubs his fingers against that magic spot inside me, just as he pushes his third finger to break through my virgin ass, at the same time gently biting on my clit, sending me over the edge with a scream.

When I manage to open my eyes again, I see Christian's smiling face over mine, and I'm not sure if I manage it or not, but I try to smile back at him.

Not giving me a chance to even moan out his name, he kisses me just as he pushes inside me, gently, slowly, deliberately. His thrusts are slow and steady, filling me out completely, but as much as I love the sensation he brings me, I want him to fuck me hard.

"Christian." I gasp as I break away from his slow kiss. "Harder. Please."

"You want me to fuck you, Ana?" Christian asks, his grey eyes turning a shade or two darker.

"Yes." I gasp as he pulls out then quickly slam back into me. "Yes!"

After a few thrusts, he pulls out of me, but before I can complain, he suddenly flips me over, bringing me up to my knees. He quickly positions himself behind me and slams into me, sending me forward on the bed with a moan.

"Is this what you want, Ana?" He asks as he sets a brutal rhythm against my body.

"Yes!"

"You want it rough?" He asks again, his voice coming out in a grunt as he holds my hips strongly.

"Fuck! Yes!" I gasp, feeling the air leave my lungs with each of his thrusts. I can feel him trying to hold himself back, but I don't want him to. I want him to give me his all. "Damn it, Christian! Fuck me!"

That earns me a sudden slap on the ass, making my insides clench.

 _What the hell?_

"You like that?" He asks as he smacks my ass again, earning him another clench of my inner walls.

Apparently, that was all the incentive he needed, because next thing I know, he's holding me by the hair, and fucking me as if his life depended on it.

And I'm loving every second of it.

Suddenly, he lets go of my hair, allowing me to rest the front of my body on the bed, but I feel him spread my ass cheeks apart as he continues his thrusts.

"Fuck, you should see this!" He grunts. "The way my dick disappears inside you is fucking erotic!"

"Take a picture." I find myself saying, making him freeze. "Don't stop, and take a fucking picture!" I gasp, realizing that I really want to see what he's seeing. I hear him shuffle for his phone behind me, then I hear the tell-tale sound of a picture taken as he continues his movements.

He then throws his phone on the bed, making it fall beside me, and I can see the picture right there. Looking at the same sight that he's seeing sends me over the edge again, and my climax triggers his, making him thrust 3 more times before I feel him pull out and cum all over my ass and back, all the while calling out my name.

"Wow." I finally manage to say after a few minutes of complete silence. I'm still lying on my front, not wanting to mess the bed with his cum.

"Did I hurt you?" Christian asks, and I can hear a hint of worry in his voice. "Was I too rough?"

"You were perfect." I say and smile up at him. He only smiles back at me as he reaches for one of the discarded towels and cleans my ass and back, before he cleans between my legs and himself.

"Sleep, baby." Christian whispers once we're under the covers with my head resting on his chest and his fingers playing with my hair.

"Sing for me again?" I ask as I run my fingers over the defined muscles of his abdomen.

"What do you want to hear?"

"Same song."

He starts humming quietly, then his beautiful voice fills my ears. This time, I'm able to recognize the song, and the last thing I remember before falling asleep, is hearing Christian singing Bruno Mars' Just The Way You Are.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **Christian POV**

 **Tuesday, Jan. 6** **th** **, 2015**

I wake up with a smile on my face, but then that smile quickly disappears when I reach out for Ana and realize that the bed beside me is empty.

It's not only empty, it's cold. She must've been up for a while now.

I look at the bed-side clock and frown when I realize that the time is only 5 a.m. Ana is never one to wake up this early, especially when she doesn't have to go to the office.

I get out of bed and put on my sweat pants in a haste, then start looking for her across the apartment. She's not in the bathroom, nor the living room, nor the kitchen. Just as I start to panic, I go to the library and find her there, sitting by the window and watching the sun come up.

"Morning." I say softly, not wanting to startle her.

"Morning." She says, but she doesn't turn to look at me. I notice her quickly wipe away at her face, and within seconds, I'm kneeling in front of her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask as I reach out to hold her hand. Luckily, she doesn't pull away from me. "Why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep." She sighs and finally looks at me. "I couldn't stop thinking about what you told me yesterday."

"Baby…"

"Let me finish, please." She says, effectively shutting me up. I notice her taking a deep breath before she squeezes my hand, and I feel my heart plummet into my stomach. "I know I over-reacted last night, and that my hormones were probably going out of control. By the way, never tell a pregnant woman that she's being hormonal."

I can't help but smile at that, and the hint of a smile on her face tells me that she's forgiven me for that crazy move.

"I also know that your top priority is my safety, and by proxy, the safety of our child. I think I can understand where you're coming from on wanting to buy out SIP, but I've worked so hard for my reputation and career. You of all people should understand that better than anyone. It's bad enough that people are calling me a gold-digger. I don't want to be known for fucking my way to the top."

"Ana…"

"Let me finish!" She says sternly, and I only nod at her. "If you really want to go through with this, I don't want to receive any preferential treatment. I will remain as a junior editor until I get a promotion myself. I will not be treated as the boss's girlfriend by my superiors. If I fuck up, I want to be called out on it. If I do something right, I want to be praised because of my efforts, not because of who I am." She says and takes another deep breath. "You mentioned getting me an assistant. That is not how things work at SIP. Assistants are only for senior editors."

"Once SIP is mine, I can do whatever I want in regards to internal regulation. Like you said, my top priority is your safety and your health, and I'll make it happen no matter what. Let me worry about that."

"What about everything else I told you?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I say with a smile.

I would love to have her sit in Roach's seat by next week, but she doesn't want that. She doesn't want her career linked to my name, and I'll give her that.

It's the least I can do since she obviously is ok with my buying SIP now.

"Another thing we need to talk about, and you need to hear me out well, Christian." She says, and now she pulls her hands away from mine. "What you said yesterday about wanting me to quit after the baby is here really scared me. It made me feel like you want me to be a kept woman, only focusing on you and our baby. I can't do that. I will not do that. I will be the best mother I can, and the best girlfriend I can as well, but I will also be the best editor I can. I will not put my career on hold just because I become a mother."

"But…" I begin, and she throws me a warning look that shuts me up.

 _You better speak carefully, Grey._

"Baby, I understand how much you love your job, but don't you think that our baby will need your attention more?" I ask, and I notice her closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Did you feel any less loved when Grace had to work night shifts when you were a kid? When she had to leave the dinner table abruptly because an emergency case came in?"

"No, I never did. I actually felt proud to know that my mother was saving lives." I say quickly, then realize where she's going with her thoughts.

"I might not be saving lives, but I am changing ones by choosing authors who have been trying their best to get their voices heard through their words." She says and looks at me with hurt eyes. "Millions of women out there are working mothers, and their children don't feel left out or less loved. And before you even start on the money issue, I will not be using your money as my own. That's a deal breaker for me."

"Huh?" I ask, seriously confused by what she just said. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not with your for your wealth, Christian." She says with a sigh as she stands up.

"I know you're not. Did I ever make you feel otherwise?"

"No, you didn't, but the fact that you mentioned that yesterday really hurt. I will not be my mother!"

 _Oh! So that's what this is all about._

"You are nothing like your mother, Ana." I say as I move to stand in front of her and hold her face in my hands. "Never think that, baby. You are the most generous, selfless, amazing woman I have ever known, and you are nothing like her. Please, believe that."

"Then you won't mind that the only money of yours I'll be using will only be in regards to the baby."

"What about when we get married?" I ask, and she looks at me with shocked eyes. "That can't be news for you, Ana. You will be my wife one day."

"Then I'll sign a prenup." She says, and it's like she punched me in right in the gut.

"Are you out of your mind?" I ask, my tone edging on furious. "I will not have us start our marriage by planning how it will end!"

"Christian…"

"No, Ana!" I snap, making her take a step away from me. " _That's_ a deal breaker for me! I don't care what you think. Our marriage will be forever!"

"Every couple who get married think that way." She says with a shrug. "Still, over 50% of them end up divorced."

 _Fucking Carla and her fucked up crap!_

"Ana, baby." I say after I've forced myself to calm down. "You are it for me; there will be no woman after you. We're starting a family together, and our family will stay together until I take my last breath. I can only hope you feel the same way."

"I do." She says as a stray tear escapes her eyes. "I love you with every beat of my heart, Christian, but I can't help but wonder about what would happen when you meet someone more emotionally stable than I am."

"Oh baby."

I pull her to me then, and as soon as her head touches my chest, she breaks down in tears.

 _I'm going to kill Carla with my bare hands._

"Sweetie, look at me." I say, and she does, her eyes all teary and puffy. "Nothing you do or say will ever make me love you any less. I can only love you more, if that is even possible. Yes, you have issues when it comes to relationships, but you're working on them, and you've come a long way since we've first met. That says something about your strength and determination. I'm willing to wait forever until you're ready for marriage, but I am not going anywhere, no matter who I meet or what you say. You're stuck with me."

She giggles at that, and I feel my heart expand a little at that sound.

"She called me yesterday, you know?" She says, and I immediately know who she's referring to.

"Did you talk to her?"

"No. I ignored her calls just like I ignored every other one." She sighs, and I sigh as well.

She really doesn't need that now.

"I'm getting you a new phone today. It'll be connected to GEH servers so that your new e-mail can be monitored as well. I'm not going to take a risk with that information leaking out again."

"Ok." She says with a nod, and I'm really glad she's not putting up a fight about that. "You need to get ready for work. Gail should have breakfast ready any minute."

"I'm staying in today." I say and she looks at me with surprise. "Did you really think I was going to leave you alone after the day you've had yesterday?"

"You need to be at the office."

"No, I don't." I say as I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I have everything I need at my office here, and any urgent matter can be addressed over the phone. Otherwise, Ros can handle anything."

"Thank you." She says as she puts her arms around my waist and rests her head on my chest again.

"How about you get some more rest? You didn't sleep well last night."

"Ok."

Hearing that, I carry her in my arm bridal style and go back to our bedroom. I gently lay her under the covers, and as soon as her head hits the pillows, she's out.

 _She must be exhausted._

Silently, I put on a t-shirt and make my way to the kitchen where I find Taylor fully dressed and sipping on his coffee. His eyebrows reach his hairline when he sees what I'm wearing, but his face quickly goes stoic.

"We're staying in today, Taylor." I say and nod at Gail as a silent good morning. "Is your new guy in?"

"He should be arriving within an hour or so. He's supposed to meet me at GEH."

"Have him come here. I want to meet him and I want Ana to meet him as well."

"Yes, Sir." Taylor says and leaves the kitchen, his phone already against his ear.

"Egg-white omelet, Sir?" Gail asks, and I only nod at her and take the cup of coffee she offers me.

I sit at the breakfast bar with my phone in my hand, and I scroll through the e-mails I have received since yesterday afternoon. I quickly fire off a text to Ros informing her that I will not be at the office today, then I send an e-mail to Barney asking him to get me the latest iPhone with all the gadgets required for our security. Finally, I pull the e-mail Welch sent me with Sawyer's background check, and I go over it as I have my breakfast.

To say I'm impressed would be an understatement. That guy has served in Iraq for 3 tours, and was honorably discharged after being injured in an ambush where he saved the lives of most of his squad. He has a degree in forensic sciences and another one in languages. He's two years older than Ana, and he has two younger sisters, while both of his parents are deceased.

After breakfast, I make my back to the bedroom to change into a pair of jeans, and I'm happy to see that Ana is still sleeping peacefully. I then go to my office and get started on work, and before I realize it, Taylor is knocking on my door informing me that Sawyer has arrived.

When Sawyer walks in after Taylor, my first instinct is to fire him on the spot, even if he's not my employee yet.

The man is a good-looking motherfucker, and as much as I am confident of the way I look, I feel threatened by his appearance.

 _She loves you, Grey. Only you!_

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir." The handsome fucker says as he shakes my hand firmly, and I only nod at him.

"Take a seat." I say, motioning for him to sit on the seat in front of my desk. "Has Taylor in formed you of the details of what your job would be?"

"Yes, Sir." He says and takes a deep breath. "Should I get the job, I will be in charge of Ms. Anastasia Steele's safety. I am to protect her at all times and report back to you any incident that could affect her safety and health."

I nod at that. The bastard is a professional, I give him that.

"You should know that Ms. Steele is almost 8 weeks pregnant, so your job would be doubled keeping her and the baby safe." I say, and I notice a dream look quickly flash over his face before it's replaced with a genuine smile.

"Congratulations, Sir." He says, and I can't help but smile back at him.

"Thank you. Do you have any kids?" I ask, even though I know that no kids were mentioned in his background check.

"Not yet, but my fiancé just informed me a few weeks ago that we're expecting." He says, the smile never leaving his face, and just like that, all my insecurities are put to rest.

Almost 30 minutes later, and after we have discussed his package and salary, both Sawyer and Taylor stand up to leave.

"Welcome on board, Mr. Sawyer. Your job is the most important out of everyone on my security team. I hope you realize that."

"Thank you, Sir." He says as he shakes my hand again. "I will not let you down."

I nod at him and ask him to stay at the apartment until Ana wakes up, wanting them to meet before he has to start as her CPO. I'm then left alone in my office again, going over the papers for SIP that I had Ros e-mail to me this morning.

I still haven't heard back from Roach in regards to his asking price. Normally, in cases like these, I would already move for a hostile takeover, but I'm feeling generous today, and I'll give him until noon to hear back from him. If nothing happens by then, all bets are off.

About an hour later, my phone rings, and I reach for it without looking at the screen.

"Grey!" I snap, irritated that I'm being distracted.

"Hello handsome." I hear Jose's voice coming from the other end, and I can't help but smile.

"Hello, Jose. What can I do for you?"

"I've been trying to reach Ana, but I keep getting her voicemail. Are you keeping her away from us mere mortals?"

I have to laugh at that.

"No, I'm not. You probably know what happened yesterday, so she's been ignoring all incoming call. Her battery probably died."

"Well, I need to give her a heads up." Jose says and takes a deep breath, and I immediately know that I'm not going to like what I'll be hearing next. "Carla called me."

"What does the bitch want?" I grit out.

"Said she's been trying to call Ana all day yesterday, and when she didn't answer any of her calls, she got worried sick, that's why she's on her way to Seattle to make sure that Ana is fine."

 _Oh fuck no._

 _Abso-fucking-lutely not!_

"Now is not the time for one of your pranks, Jose." I say, praying that he is in fact pranking me.

"Oh I wish I were, Handsome. She called before she boarded the plane. That was two hours ago." Jose says, and I do a quick mental calculation.

"So, she should arrive in 4 hours." I say, thankful that I will have enough time to prepare Ana for this new shit storm.

"Yup."

"Thanks for letting me know, Jose. Ana's new phone should be arriving any minute now, so I'll make sure to have her call you." I say, then we quickly say our goodbyes before I hang up.

"FUCK!" I yell in frustration.

I'm really not sure how I'm supposed to handle this. I'm willing to bet my entire fortune that Carla decided to be mommy dearest because of the article that was published yesterday, and not because she wants to offer Ana emotional support.

She wants to tap into the Grey name.

 _Fucking cunt._

I quickly fire up a text to Ray informing him of the latest updates, and he simply replies by saying that he and Sandra are already on their way and should arrive in an hour.

Somehow, that makes me relax a bit, knowing that Ray can offer Ana the fatherly support that I can in no way provide her.

Looking at the time, I see that it's past noon and I still haven't heard from Roach, so I send an e-mail to Ros, requesting that we move for a hostile takeover. I also ask that she moves the ball on preparing the 17th and 18th floor of GEH to accommodate SIP, which I'm thinking of renaming in Grey Publishing.

Once that is done, I go to check on Ana, and I find her sitting up in bed with a manuscript in her lap and one red pen in her hand, a blue one between her lips, and a green one behind her ear.

"Hey, when did you wake up?" I ask as I move to sit beside her on the bed.

"About an hour or so ago. I didn't want to bother you so I just decided to work here."

"It wouldn't have been a bother." I say and place a quick kiss on her lips, but not before I take the blue pen from between them. "Three pens?"

"Makes it easier to take notes." She says with a shrug as she places the manuscript down.

"Your dad is driving up with Sandra. They should arrive in an hour or so." I say, and I hate that the wide smile that is now decorating her face will be replaced with the news I have about her mother.

"Really? That's great!" She says, obviously excited.

"I have something else to tell you, and I'm not really sure how you're going to react." I say and tug at my hair, making her pull my hand away from my head like she usually does.

"It can't be worse than yesterday." She says with a small smile, but that disappears when she sees the look on my face, which I'm sure is a mixture of pain and frustration.

"Jose called." I begin, and she raises her eyebrow at me, silently asking me to continue. "Your mother called him."

"What did she want?" She asks, her hands dropping in her lap.

"Apparently, she read the article yesterday, and she's been trying to call you since. When you ignored her call, she got worried." I say and brace myself for her reaction. "She's flying up to make sure that you're ok."

"Worried my ass." She quickly says, then she freezes when the rest of what I said sinks in. "She's flying up here?"

"Unfortunately."

"I don't want to see her, Christian." She says, her voice coming out small.

"Consider it done." I say, hating how vulnerable she suddenly sounds and looks. "You will not be seeing her. I'll make sure she's out of Seattle by tonight."

"Thank you." She says and picks up the manuscript, effectively ending the conversation.

"Your new CPO arrived today." I say, making her let out a small groan. "Do you want to meet him? He's at the security office with Taylor."

"Sure." She says with a sigh as she moves away her papers and gets out of the bed. As she makes her way to the door, I stay in my spot, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Aren't you going to change?" I ask, and she looks down at herself then gives me a questioning look. "Baby, I don't feel comfortable with you meeting him in a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. Please change, for me."

 _So much for my insecurities being put to rest!_

Ana just rolls her eyes before she goes to the walk-in closet, and five minutes later, she emerges wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a white blouse with white flats on her feet.

"Baby!" I groan, not sure if what she's wearing now is any better than her previous outfit.

"Zip it, Grey. I'm going to wear those pants as much as I can before they don't fit any more!" She snaps and walks out of the room, with me closely following behind her. Once we're in the living room, I call for Taylor to get Sawyer, and when the two walk in, Ana quickly looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Ms. Steele, nice to meet you." Sawyer says as he moves to shake her hand. I'm watching him as a hawk, looking for any sign that he's checking her out. To my pleasure, he doesn't, and once they shake hands, he stands professionally next to Taylor.

"Same here, Mr. Sawyer."

"It's Sawyer, Ma'am."

"And it's Ana." She says, making Sawyer look at me for approval to call her by her first name, and I know better than to argue, so I simply nod at him.

I already lost that battle weeks ago.

I will, however, give him credit for referring back to me for permission.

"I would like to get to know you more, but since you and I will be spending a lot of time together, I'm sure we'll have time for that." Ana says and looks at me with a smile on her face. "I'm hungry. Is lunch ready yet?"

"It should be ready in a bit." I say and quickly dismiss the two security guys. Once the two are out of the room, Ana wraps her arms around my neck and places a quick kiss on my lips.

"I'm surprised you hired him."

"He's good at what he does."

"And you're not slightly bothered by his looks?" She asks, making me sigh and earning a giggle from her in return.

"He's engaged and his fiancé is pregnant. If he were single, it would've been a different case."

"You know I only have eyes for you, Mr. Grey." She says and kisses me again, but before she could pull away, I pull her closer and deepen the kiss, earning a moan from her delectable mouth.

"Want to have lunch in the kitchen or in the library?" I ask once I pull away from the kiss.

"How about we wait for dad to have lunch together?" She asks as she rubs her body against mine, making my eyes roll into the back of my head.

"And what shall we do until he gets here?" I manage to ask when she starts kissing my throat.

"I'm pretty sure you can figure that out, Mr. Grey." She says between kisses.

Then she goes ahead and bites the spot where my neck meets my shoulder and I groan before I carry her up in my arms and head for the bedroom.

I just hope Ray doesn't arrive sooner than planned.

* * *

"Daddy!" Ana squeals as she jumps into her Dad's opened arms.

"Hey, Annie." Ray says as he rubs his hands over her back, as I go to greet Sandra. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than I did yesterday." Ana says before she goes and gives Sandra a quick hug. "Thank you guys for coming. I can't imagine it was convenient for you to drop everything and drive up here."

"You come first, Ana." Sandra says, bringing tears to Ana's eyes.

 _Why couldn't Sandra be her mom instead?_

"Christian, I trust you're keeping my baby girl safe?" Ray asks as he gives me a firm handshake.

"As much as I can." I say and give Ana a pointed look silently asking her to keep the news to a minimum.

"Christian hired me a bodyguard. I just met him today." Ana says as we move to sit in the living area. "He's also buying SIP and relocating it to GEH."

I brace for the onslaught of Ray's reaction. So much for silently telling her to keep things to herself for the time being.

"Good." Ray says, making me look at him with surprise.

"Dad!" Ana gasps, obviously expecting Ray to rip me a new one.

 _Your dad's on my side baby!_

"What?" Ray asks with a shrug. "I talked to Jose, and he says that the security measures at SIP are shit. I'm not willing to risk your safety! Christian is now responsible for that, and if he sees that buying SIP is the best to make sure that you're safe, then so be it."

I can't help the smug look that's on my face, but it's quickly wiped out when Ray speaks up again.

"Now, what are we going to do about Katherine Kavanaugh?"

 _Straight to the point!_

"I take it Jose told you everything." Ana sighs, just as Gail comes in carrying refreshments and announcing that lunch would be serves in 10 minutes.

"Yes, he did." Ray says as he rubs his hand through his hair. "That girl needs someone to take her over his knee and spank the daylights out of her."

I choke on my juice when I hear Ray say that, while Ana and Sandra just look at him with shocked eyes.

"What? It's not like her father has done a good job of raising her!" Ray says with a shrug. "You still haven't answered my question, Christian."

"I still don't have a plan set in place, Ray." I say, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "My priority was ensuring Ana's safety."

"And part of Ana's safety is making sure that Kate doesn't pull a stunt like this again!"

"Ray, calm down." Sandra says as she places her hand on his arm, and just like Ana has a magical ability to calm me down with a simple touch, so does Sandra for Ray. "I'm sure Christian will figure something out soon."

"Can you sue her for defamation of character?" Ray asks once he has taken a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"We don't have physical proof that she's the one who leaked the information to the Nooz."

"Then how do you know she did it?" Sandra asks with confused eyes.

"She's the only one other than you two, my immediate family, Jose and Ethan who knows about the baby." Ana says, making Sandra nod in understanding. "The reporter who wrote the article says that he was approached by a woman with the details and the pictures, but it would be a case of _he said-she said_ if we move down that route."

"She doesn't work. If she did, I would have her blackballed in all of Seattle." I say as I take another sip of my juice. "She solely depends on money from her father and her main concern is her social status. I'm probably going to use Mia's help in that."

"Do whatever you have to do, Christian." Ray says as he stands up and gives me stern look. "I need her reputation destroyed."

"Dad!" Ana gasps and looks at her dad with wide eyes.

"No one messes with you and gets away with it, Annie!" Ray says before he walks off to the kitchen, leaving us in shock at his passionate reaction.

An hour later, we're back in the living area after having had a great lunch of salad and sandwiches. Ana is resting her head on my shoulder, same as Sandra with Ray, and the four of us are sitting in a comfortable silence.

"Have you set a date yet?" Ana asks as she looks at Sandra's ring.

"Probably sometime next year." Sandra says with a smile. "Maybe around summer time."

"That's great to hear!" Ana says with her own smile. "I'll have lost the baby weight by then!"

"Well…" Sandra begins, and she suddenly looks nervous. "My daughter is going to be my maid of honor, but I would be delighted if you would be a bride's maid."

"Oh my God!" Ana gasps and covers her mouth with her hands. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am! You're going to be my daughter, and I would love for you to be in the wedding!"

"Yes, of course! I'll be honored!" Ana says as she jumps to hug Ana, and I can't help but smile at her happiness. Then I look at Ray when he clears his throat, and I'm actually surprised by the nervous look on his face.

"Wanna be my best man?" He asks casually, and I can't help but grin at him.

"Sure." I say with a shrug, just as casually, making him nod.

 _I guess that's that._

Once the two women relax back in their spots, Ray looks at me, then at Ana with almost worried eyes.

"Christian told me about Carla." Ana says, quickly understanding her father's hesitance

"What do you want to do about it, baby girl?"

"I don't want to see her." Ana says with a sigh, making me rub my hand against her back.

"I will have someone waiting for her at the airport with a return ticket to New York, the earlier the better." I say, making Ray nod at me.

"Is that person there now? She should be arriving any minute." Ray says, and my eyes grow wide at that.

"Jose said that she called him when she boarded the plane. That gives us 2 more hours before she arrives." Ana says, and I can feel her panic start to set in.

"Carla doesn't take direct flights. She's never been able to handle long flights, so she usually has a layover somewhere. Knowing her, I would imagine she called when she boarded her second flight." Ray says and rubs his hands over his face.

"Taylor!" I yell, startling everyone in the room, but I don't really care at this moment. Within seconds, Taylor is in the room waiting for my instructions. "Find out which flight Carla Jackson is on and when it will be arriving, then have someone waiting for her at the airport with a return ticket to New York. Make it clear to her that she's not welcomed here at all."

"Yes, Sir." Taylor says and quickly makes his way back to the security office.

We all stay silent, not really knowing what to say as we wait for Taylor to come back to us with information, and when he does return to the room, my heart falls at the angry look on his face.

"Sir, I'm afraid Mrs. Jackson's flight just landed 30 minutes ago." He says and takes a deep breath. "I would imagine she's already checked out."

"Fuck!" I say in frustration. When I look at Ana, I notice she has closed her eyes and is taking deep breaths. "That doesn't make sense!"

"Unless she called from the flight itself." Ray says with a shrug, and I feel my blood boil.

 _Irresponsible cunt!_

"Christian, you might want to have someone waiting for her downstairs." Sandra says, making all of us look at her with confused eyes. "I don't know her, but I know what Ray told me about her, and based on that, I would imagine she will come directly here. Ray and I had to fight our way through the reporters outside, but she'll probably enjoy the attention too much and take the time to answer questions."

"FUCK!" I yell before I look at Taylor, who only nods and heads out the door.

 _I guess he's doing this himself._

"How long does it take from the airport to get here?" I hear Ray ask, and I have to take a few deep breaths to calm myself down before I answer him.

"About 20 minutes, depending on traffic."

"So, she should be here any minute now."

"I'm going to measure my blood pressure, then I'm going to do some work." Ana says as she stands up and leaves, not giving me any chance to say anything.

"I'll go." Sandra says as she stands up as well. "I'd rather not meet that lame excuse of a woman. I trust you two can handle her."

"Thank you." I say, earning a small smile from Sandra before she goes after Ana.

Just as I open my mouth to tell Ray that I will not be held responsible for anything I say or do to Carla, I hear the elevator ding behind me, indicating someone's arrival.

As soon as I turn around, I feel my blood boil again, because right there, Carla is walking in as if she owns the place, and demanding Taylor to take her bags to _her_ room.

 _Oh hell no!_

 _You just messed with the wrong asshole, bitch!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **Christian POV**

 **Tuesday, Jan. 6** **th** **, 2015**

I take a deep breath, then another, then another.

The mere sight of here pisses me off and I still haven't talked to her. I can only imagine how hard it's going to be to not choke the life out of her with my bare hands.

"Oh Christian!" She says with a huge smile that is borderline nauseating, and I realize that her voice is even more annoying that I imagined it would be. "How lovely it is to finally meet you. I would say I heard a lot about you, but Ana did not mention you to me when we last spoke."

"Considering your history, I'm not surprised." I spit out and take a step back when she moves to hug me.

Her face falls for a second at my words, but she quickly regains her composure and looks behind me at Ray.

"Ray, I didn't know you would be here today." She says and bats her eyelashes at him.

 _Gag!_

"Carla." Ray says simply without even taking her offered hand. "I would say it's lovely to see you again, but we both know that would be a flat out lie."

"Oh my! What's with all the animosity?" She says and gives me a tight smile. "And where is Ana?"

"Ana doesn't want to see you." Ray says before I can say the exact same words. "Not that I blame her."

"What has the silly girl been telling you?" She asks as she moves around the living room and seats herself on one of the couches before she crosses her legs, making her already too tight dress to hike up her leg.

 _Double gag!_

"She's always been one to seek attention, and I wouldn't put it past her if she made up a few stories to get that." Carla says and rolls her eyes.

"I think you're mistaking Ana for yourself, Carla." Ray says through grit teeth, and I can tell he's at the end of his patience. "If I remember correctly, you're the one who's willing to do _literally_ anything to get attention."

"You really need to get over what happened between us, Ray. It's been years." She huffs, and I stand back to watch the exchange between the two ex-partners.

 _What the hell did Ray see in her anyway?_

"I got over it, alright, but that doesn't mean I've forgiven you. And make no mistake, my hatred towards you has nothing to do with your affair, but has everything to do with Annie."

"Well, you sound like a broken record again, Raymond. We've been through this a million times, and quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of hearing it." She says with another roll of her eyes and turns to look at me, giving me another one of her sickening smiled. "What does a woman have to do here to be offered something to drink? I've traveled a long way to see my daughter."

"Ana doesn't want to see you." I repeat, forcing myself to keep my parent's polite upbringing in my head so that I don't drag her by the hair and kick her out.

"I'd like to hear that from her." Carla says as she licks her lips while she looks at me from head to toe. I shudder at the thought of her checking me out, and I'm actually starting to feel sick to my stomach.

 _I'm your daughter's future husband, you sick fuck._

Just as I'm about to say something I know I will regret later, Sandra walks back into the room and heads straight towards me, all the while shooting daggers at Carla with her eyes.

"Is Ana ok?" I ask as she pulls me to the side.

"Her blood pressure is normal, but I think she's thinking about confronting her mother." She whispers, making my eyes go wide. "I think she should do this, Christian. She needs to let things out. I'll stay as long as you need me to, to monitor her blood pressure and to make sure that she's ok, but I really think she should do this."

I let out a frustrated sigh and nod at Sandra. She's right. Ana needs this.

"You sure know how to pick your staff, Christian." Carla suddenly says as she eyes Sandra with disgusted eyes. "Could you fetch me a glass of Champaign, dear? I'm parched."

"Excuse me?" Sandra says, and I'm sure she heard Carla right, she's just giving her a chance to take her words back.

"Aren't you the maid or something? Get me something to drink. I'd prefer some Champaign, but if that's not available, then a Prosecco would do."

I hold my breath, waiting for the explosion to happen, but Sandra just looks at Carla as if she had grown a second head, then she looks at Ray.

"Seriously, baby? What the hell did you see in her?" Sandra asks as she moves to stand beside Ray and wraps her arm around his waist, making sure to flash Carla her ring.

"She wasn't like this when I married her. All the money she swindled off her husbands must've gotten to her head." Ray says as he kisses Sandra's temple, and I can see the steam coming out of Carla's ears. "That doesn't mean that she wasn't a piece of work back then, she just wasn't _this_ vile."

"You're engaged?" Carla shrieks, and for a second I actually think she's hurt. "Pity, I thought we could remember old days while I visited."

 _Keep digging yourself in a whole, Carla._

"I'm sure your husband would love to hear that." Ray says, but I can't miss the flash of anger that passes over his face.

"Jackson and I have an open marriage. He lives his life, I live mine." Carla says with a shrug. "One piece of advice for you dear, have a back-up plan in place. Ray can be a little boring."

"Are you fucking real?" Sandra snaps as she takes a step towards Carla.

 _So much for staying calm!_

"You've been here five fucking seconds, and you've already insinuated that you want to sleep with my fiancé, then you go and say that he's boring, not to mention insulting me by the way you spoke to me. And don't even think none of us can see the way you're checking Christian out, which is disgusting by the way, the man is your daughter's boyfriend!"

 _So, I wasn't imagining it. GROSS!_

"He's a handsome man, any red-blooded woman would appreciate his looks!" Carla says defensively, as if that's an excuse.

"Ray, Sandra tells me that Ana wasn't to talk to Carla. Could you go get her? The sooner this is done the sooner she's out of here." I say, my eyes never leaving Carla, and I get goosebumps by the way she's undressing me with her eyes.

 _Damn it, woman. You're old enough to be my mother!_

"Yes, Ray, do that, and take your little fiancé with you. I'd like to have a word with Christian alone." Carla says and stands up.

I notice Ray giving me a questioning look, but I just nod at him, making him and Sandra head towards our bedroom where Ana is.

"Mrs. Jackson…" I begin, but she cuts me off as she takes deliberate steps towards me.

"What's this formality nonsense? Call me Carla." She says as she gets closer to me, and I stiffen as I realize that this is not going to end well by any stretch of the imagination.

"Mrs. Jackson." I stress, making her roll her eyes but sill advance towards me. "Ana wants to speak to you to let her emotions out. Once that is done, I suggest you head back to New York on the first flight out. I'll even purchase you a first-class ticket."

"Nonsense." Carla huffs as she stands a step away from me and again checks me out from head to toe, making me visibly shiver. "I'm sure Ana and I will come to an understanding, and that she'll want me to stay here for a while."

"I wouldn't count on that." I say, and I actually have to gulp as she takes that one final step towards me, and before I even know what she's doing, she had her hand on my chest, making me go in a state of panic.

"Get your filthy hand off my boyfriend." I hear Ana's voice in a distance, but I can't really react, because I'm simply paralyzed with fear.

 _She touched me._

 _She fucking touched me._

 _I think I'm going to faint!_

* * *

 **Ana POV**

"Are you sure you want to do this, baby girl?" Dad asks as he squeezes my hand gently, making me give him a small smile.

"Yes, daddy. I need to do this." I say and take a deep breath. "Could you have Flynn's number on standby? I might need him after this."

"Of course." Dad says with an encouraging smile.

With that, I leave Dad and Sandra in the library and head to the living room. I asked them to stay behind because I don't want my dad to hear what I have to say to Carla.

I don't want him to know exactly how I feel about her and what she has done to me.

I take another deep breath as I stand at the living room's door way, but it leaves me in an angry huff as I see Carla with her hand over Christian's chest.

Christian has been doing remarkably well with his touch issues, but only with his direct family and me. To see the look of utter panic and pain on his face makes me see red, and I angrily march into the room.

"Take your filthy hands off my boyfriend." I snap as I make my way to Christian, but Carla keeps rubbing her hand up and down his chest.

"Oh there's enough of him to go around, sweetie." Carla says as she licks her lips, but gasps when I slap her hand away from Christian.

He's frozen in his spot, and his breathing is coming out in shallow intervals.

"Christian, baby, it's ok." I say as I grab his face and force him to look at me. "Baby, it's me. You're fine."

"She touched me." He says, his voice coming out small, and at that moment, I could kill her for doing this to him.

"I'll take care of her, don't worry about it." I say, the irony of my words not lost on me.

He said he'll protect me from her. Now I have to protect _him_ from her!

 _Fucking bitch._

"You two are a match made in heaven, aren't you?" Carla says from behind me, but I just ignore her for the time being.

I need to make sure that Christian is ok.

After a few seconds of rubbing my hands up and down his arm, I see him visibly relax, and then let out a breath I didn't know he was holding. He then looks at Carla with so much venom in his eyes, that I know she would be 6 feet under if looks could kill.

"Are you ok?" I ask, making him look at me again.

"Yes, baby. Thank you." He says before he places a quick kiss on my lips. "Go get her."

That's all the encouragement I need.

Slowly, I turn around, and for the first time in my life, I don't feel like the little girl craving my mother's attention and love.

"Have you no shame? No self-respect?" I spit out as I glare at her. "You really are a piece of work, Carla."

"Hey! I'm your mother!" She huffs, pushing her chest out, and I realize that the top of her dress is slit down to the middle of her chest, making her breasts almost spill out.

 _Fucking disgusting._

"Now you want to be my mother? Where were you when I waited for you to visit? Where were you when I had my first boyfriend? Where were you when I had my first kiss?" I fire one question after another. "You're no mother! You abandoned me when I needed you the most. I was 5 years old, _mother_!"

"Are we really going to talk about that again?" She asks and rolls her eyes. "I already told you to get over it!"

"Why are you here?" I ask after a moment of silence, not really knowing how to respond to what she said.

"I was worried about you. I've tried to call you many times yesterday."

"Worried my ass." I say and cross my hands over my chest. "Were you worried when I broke my leg in 5th grade? Were you worried when I had my appendix removed when I was 17? Were you worried when Paul cheated on me?"

"That's different." She huffs and moves to sit on the couch.

"Don't you dare take a seat." I snap at her, making her freeze in her spot. "You're leaving once I'm done, and I never want to see you again after today."

"Don't be ridiculous, Anastasia." She snaps back at me. "You'll need me when you have your abortion."

 _She did not say that._

 _She did not fucking say that._

"Abortion?" I gasp, not daring to believe her audacity. "Do you think I'm like you? Do you think I'm going to kill my baby?"

"Of course! You have to have an abortion. Have you not heard one thing I told you when we last spoke? A baby will ruin your life. It'll ruin your body. It'll ruin everything."

"Is that what I did? Ruined everything?"

"You would have if I hadn't left you with Ray." She says, obviously not the least ashamed by what she's saying. "No one wants to marry a single mother. My life would've been over if I had kept you with me."

"Are you fucking crazy?"

"Now, I took the liberty and looked into some of the best Planned Parenthood clinics here in Seattle. It's kind of difficult to book an appointment on short notice, but I'm sure when you tell them who your boyfriend is they'll give you priority." She says and reaches for her purse to pull out her tablet. "Once you fully recover, you and I can get to know each other more. I'd like to be part of your life."

"Oh my God. Are you even listening to yourself?" I gasp, the realization that she's actually sick intensifying more with each passing word that leaves her mouth.

"Anastasia, you can't honestly tell me that Christian is ok with you being pregnant so early on in your relationship. Now, I admit, I'm rather proud of you for trapping him the way you did, but there are other ways to do that. A baby is a lifetime commitment, and you two will be connected forever. When you have the abortion, you'll be able to move on to the next guy without strings attached."

"Get out." I hear Christian snap from behind me, and I turn to look at him. The look of utter fury on his face actually scares me, and I'm suddenly glad I've never caused him to be this angry. "Get the fuck out of our house."

"Oh my God, you do want this bastard." Carla gasps and shakes her head. "You sure know how to pick them, don't you Anastasia?"

"I said get the fuck out of my house!" Christian yells, making me flinch, but Carla stands unaffected in her spot.

"No need for dramatics, Christian." Carla says with a shrug. "Just don't be surprised when you'll be disgusted by her in a few months. She's going to be as big as a whale, and he body will never be the same again."

"Yes, my body will never be the same again, and that will be the result of me making a life. A beautiful life. I'm going to have stretch marks, my breasts are going to sag because of breastfeeding, and I'll probably never be able to wear a size 2 again in my life, but you know what, I don't give a fuck, and neither does Christian."

"Keep telling yourself that, but don't come crying to me when he cheats on you."

"Christian would never do that!" I yell, and I feel my body shaking with fury.

"Again, keep telling yourself that." She huffs and puts away her tablet. "Now, when is your last day at work? Have you handed in your notice yet? If you hadn't, you really should. You can't focus on your social status if you're working. You're one of Seattle's elite now and you need to act like it. I would like to go on a trip with you, but since you're so adamant about keeping your bastard of a child, we'll have to work around that."

"You must be out of your mind if you think for one second that I'll go anywhere with you." I spit out. "For the longest time, I believed that there's no such thing as love. For the longest time, I saw you as an example for how relationships go. I know better now. I know that Christian loves me, he loves me even more than I love him. We will get married one day, and you will not be there at our wedding. You will not be there when I give birth to our baby. You will not be there when I give birth to other babies. Dad will be there for me. Sandra will be there for me. Christian's family will be there for me."

For a split second, a look of hurt flashes over her face, but I'm willing to bet that it's not because I'm cutting her out of my life.

 _It's because I'm cutting her out of Christian's life._

"Do you know that in the short amount of time I've known Sandra, she's been more of a mother to me than you ever were? You never even invited me to any of your weddings, and she asked me to be one of her bride's mates. Grace, whom I only met a handful of times, has shown me more love than you ever did."

"If you think for one second that I'm going to leave you alone, you're sadly mistaken." Carla now snaps, her anger getting the better of her. "I gave birth to you, and I'm entitled to whatever wealth you have."

 _And there she is, the real Carla Jackson._

"If _you_ think for one second that you're going to get a penny of mine and Ana's money, then _you're_ sadly mistaken." Christian says, his voice controlled and calm, but I know better than to judge by his tone. I know he's fuming on the inside. "I'm glad you left Ana with Ray, because if you hadn't then I might have not met her. I'm also glad because God only knows what kind of woman she would've turned out to be with a toxic woman like you as a mother."

"You may be able to kick me out of your house, but you can't kick me out of Seattle."

"Bitch, I'm Christian Fucking Grey. I own Seattle." Christian says, and even though I'm on the edge of my nerves, I'm actually turned on by his strong tone. "You said you and your husband have an open marriage. Let's see how that open marriage will work out once he hears about what happened today."

"He'll never believe you!" Carla says; her tone now scared.

 _Oh, you messed with the wrong man!_

"I'm sure he won't." Christian says, and with that Carla actually relaxes a bit. "But he'll believe the video I'll send him. This whole apartment is wired with security cameras. He'll have the video in his inbox before you even board your plane."

"You wouldn't!" She gasps.

"I would, and I will." Christian snaps at her, making her eyes grow wide. "You mess with Ana; you mess with me, and bitch, you just messed with the wrong asshole."

"Anastasia, you can't let him do that to me!" Carla gasps and looks at me with teary eyes.

"I'm going to sit back and watch him do it." I say with a shrug, strangely satisfied with the panic in her eyes.

"I'm your mother!"

"I don't have a mother." I say, my voice calm and resolved, and for the first time in my life, I actually feel good about saying that.

 _I don't have a mother._

"Yes you do." I hear Sandra say from the doorway, and she quickly comes in and wraps her arms around me. "I'll be your mother. I'll be the best mother you've ever wished for, and I'll spend my lifetime showing you how a true mother treats her daughter."

I'm speechless. I can't formulate any word to say after what Sandra just said, so I just wrap my arms around her in return and hug her close.

"I think I'll give Jackson a call as well." I hear Dad say, and when I look at him, I see him glaring at Carla. "Can you get me his phone number, Christian? I'd like to have a little chat with him, tell him what a gem he married."

"Consider it done." Christian says with a smug look on his face. "I wonder if he knows how many times Carla has been married. Do you think he knows?"

The look of panic that flashes over Carla's face is all the answer we need, and it suddenly downs to me why she never invited me to any of her weddings.

She never had me visit her even when I was still a kid. She never visited me. Whenever we talked, she was alone.

"Did any of your husbands know that you have a daughter?" I ask as I pull away from Sandra's hug. "I guess number three would have, since you cheated on Ray with him, but did the other 4 know?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Carla asks, obviously avoiding the questions, which gives me all the answer I need.

"Taylor!" I yell, and just like always, he's there in seconds. "Get her out of here. I never want to see her again. Make sure she doesn't have access to me in any shape or form."

"Yes, Ana." Taylor says, and I see a hint of a smirk on his face.

He must've heard everything from the security monitors, and that makes me feel sorry for her. Taylor treats me like a niece, and Carla just got on his shit-list.

"I just have one last thing to say to you." I tell Carla as Taylor moves to grab her arm. "I hate you. I never thought I was capable of hating anyone, but you proved me wrong. You're going to die a lonely death, Carla, and I will not even be at your funeral."

With that, Taylor drags her out of the living room and towards the elevator, while she's screaming and yelling. I notice Sawyer come out of the security room as well, and he grabs her bags and follows Taylor into the elevator.

"The reporters!" I gasp, knowing that she's going to take that chance to ruin mine and Christian's reputation.

"Don't worry about that. Taylor knows how to handle things." Christian says as he wraps his arms around me.

I hold on to him for dear life, waiting for the tears to come, but they never do.

I'm actually surprised by how at peace I feel at the moment. I imagined I would be hurt, or heartbroken even, but the only emotion I'm feeling right now is complete and utter calmness.

"Do you want me to call Flynn?" I hear Dad ask, and I just shake my head against Christian's chest.

"I'm fine." I say after a moment, making everyone in the room look at me with skeptical eyes. "I promise you, I'm fine. It's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders."

"Do you want me to send the video to Jackson?" Christian asks, and I honestly don't know how to answer him. "And is his name seriously Jackson Jackson?"

Hearing that, I break out in a fit of giggles that soon morph into full blown out laughter. In a second, Dad and Sandra are also laughing, closely followed by Christian.

It takes us more than 5 minutes to calm down, and once we do, I feel lighter, and I know that no matter what, Carla will never have an influence on my life again.

"You decide what you want to do with that." I say, answering Christian's question. "I don't want to talk about her again, and I don't want to hear her name again."

"You got it, baby." Christian says and places a quick kiss on my lips, but we quickly break apart when Dad clears his throat.

"I might be a cool dad, but I'm not cool enough to see you kiss my daughter!" He says, making me giggle again.

"Ana, let's go get your blood pressure measured." Sandra says, making me nod at her, although I feel absolutely fine.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call Flynn?" Christian asks, and I simply smile at him.

"It's over, baby." I say, making him smile at me. "She'll never have an influence on my life again."

With that, I go back to the bedroom, and there's literally a little skip to my steps.

 _It's over._

 _Carla Jackson is out of my life, and I couldn't be any happier._


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **Christian POV**

 **Monday, Jan. 19** **th** **, 2015**

I wake up with a smile on my face. Ana is snuggled up to me, her arm around my waist and her head resting on my chest. But that is not why I'm smiling.

I'm smiling because today is the day we take Kate Kavanaugh down.

Mia has been using her influence to show Kate's true colors in her social groups, and so far, it's been quite a success. I know of three major social events where Kate was not invited to, and one where she was actually kicked out from. However, I'm not satisfied yet. I want her reputation to be completely ruined, and today is the day it will happen.

Most of Seattle's elite have no hard feelings towards the LGTB community. In fact, on more than one occasion, they've made it clear that should anyone come out as gay, they'd be more than supportive of them.

This is where Elena comes in. When she dropped by a couple of weeks ago, she joked about hitting on Kate, but then she called me a few days later to discuss that seriously. At first, I was against it, but after talking to Ana and Ethan, I realized that maybe this might be the final punch to her ego.

Elena has set up a meeting with Kate today in the pretense of offering her information. However, she will actually hit on her, and will have it filmed. I'm willing to bet that Kate's reaction would be outrageous at the least, and I will leave it up to Ana and Ethan to decide if they want that footage to be public.

Speaking of footage and videos, Ana left the issue of her mother in my hands, and I went ahead and sent the video to her husband. Ray also talked to him, and before Carla was back in New York, Jackson had the divorce papers ready.

I've appointed someone to keep track on Carla after that, because I knew she would be a loose cannon after being cut off so abruptly. What I didn't account for was the fact that she has been saving money and has near a million dollars in her account from previous marriages. Last I heard, she was moving to LA to start a new life there.

 _Selfish cunt_.

She now knows not to mess with me, but one cannot be too safe. That's why I'll keep tags on her until I'm 100% sure she will never contact Ana again.

Ana has been doing remarkably well since her confrontation with Carla. She did end up talking to Flynn the following day, and she asked me to be there with her. After we told him what happened, with me telling him about the part before Ana came marching in, his professional opinion was that the confrontation was the closure that Ana didn't know she needed.

He could tell that something was different about her the minute we walked through his office. To say that he was shocked after hearing everything would be the understatement of the year, and I know for a fact that it's almost impossible to render Flynn speechless.

He couldn't say anything for a good 5 minutes, not counting the choice swear words he threw while we detailed the encounter.

After asking for a few more details about Carla's past, he came to the conclusion that Carla suffers from Financial Dependency Disorder. When Ana and I just stared at him, not knowing what the hell he was talking about, he explained that it's when someone refuses to take responsibility of their own financial well-being and remains dependent on others.

When I first heard that, I was worried that Ana would feel guilty because a doctor just diagnosed her mother with a disorder, but Ana just shrugged and said that Carla can take her disorder and feed it somewhere else because she was done with her.

I smile when I feel a little bit of drool hit my chest, and I don't have the heart to move her and wipe that little spot away. Apparently, some women start drooling a lot, especially while sleeping, when pregnant, and it seems like Ana is one of those women.

I look at the bedside clock and find the time approaching 6:30 a.m. I really should get out of bed and start getting ready for my breakfast meeting, but at the same time, I'm enjoying the peaceful atmosphere too much to disturb it.

However, five minutes later I feel Ana begin to stir, and soon, her eyes flutter open. Quickly, a look of horror passes on her face when she realizes that she has drooled over my chest, but I just laugh when she moves to get a tissue.

"Baby, with the amount of bodily fluid that we've exchanged, I don't think a little bit of drool is going to bother me."

"I'm really sorry!" She gasps as she rubs the tissue over the spot where her mouth was resting. Once she's satisfied I'm drool-free, she places a soft kiss over my heart, and I can't help but smile at the move.

"Morning, handsome." She says, her chin still resting on my chest.

"Morning, beautiful." I say as I rub my fingers through her hair. "Are you ready for today?"

"Oh, I can't wait to see her reaction!" She replies with a beaming smile on her face.

"Good. Elena said she'll stop by the office as soon as she finishes with Kate. That should be around 1." I say as I get up. "I have to head out for a breakfast meeting, so I'll meet you at my office then."

"Cool!" She says, clapping her hands like a teenage girl, and I can't help but smile at how happy she is.

Her whole attitude has changed after Carla, and I can't help but be thankful that the bitch decided to stop by when she did.

Maybe now I don't have to wait too long to ask her to marry me.

"Can I shower with you?" She asks as I pull out my clothes for the day, and when I turn to look at her, I find her biting her lip and checking out my ass.

 _Gotta love pregnancy hormones!_

"You have to ask?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, making her jump out of the bed and run to the bathroom. I only chuckle as I follow her, knowing that we're going to get dirty before we get clean.

* * *

I was in a meeting when I received a three-worded message from Elena, _"On my way!"_ , and I actually cut the meeting short when she responded to my question of how long with a _"10 minutes"_ text.

I can't believe it, but I'm feeling giddy with excitement. It might be rather vindictive of me, but if I went the extra mile to make Carla pay, who, whether I like it or not, is Ana's flesh and blood, one can only imagine how far I would go to make Kate fucking Kavanaugh pay.

I quickly call Ana and tell her to meet me in my office as I make my way there out of the conference room. Ros gave me a deathly glare when I announced that we'll pick up at a later date, but I couldn't care less at the moment.

Ana steps out of the elevator just as I reach the reception area of my office, and I have to take a deep breath so that I don't drag her into my office and have my way with her.

At almost 8 weeks pregnant, she's looking radiant. She's wearing a grey business dress with a black belt around her still slim waist, and black shoes, which I notice are not as high as she usually would wear.

I see her greet Andrea with a smile before she walks to me, and for the life of me, I can't bring myself to even take a step towards her.

 _This beautiful, successful woman is mine._

"Hey, handsome." She says as she brushes her hands over my chest. "How was your meeting?"

"Boring." I say and place a quick kiss on her lips. "Elena should be here any minute now."

The beaming smile that decorates her face makes me smile in return, and just as we make it through my office's door, I hear Elena laughing in the foyer with Ryan.

I had Ryan accompany Elena to her lunch with Kate so that he could film the whole meeting. What Ana and Elena don't know is that I've given him strict instruction to protect Elena, because one could never be sure how a homophobic bitch would react after being hit on by a bisexual woman.

"How did it go?" Ana quickly asks as soon as Elena steps into the office, and Elena just laughs.

"It was amazing. A-fucking-mazing!" Elena says as she throws herself unceremoniously on the couch. "Cathartic even, and I'm not the one she fucked over to begin with."

"Let me see, let me see!" Ana squeals and takes a seat beside her, making Elena's face drop for a second.

"Listen, before you see it, just know that she is a vile and sick person." Elena says, and I immediately know that Kate must've said something seriously bad, even for her.

"I think it's safe to say that we already know that." Ana says, but she looks at Elena with confused eyes. "What did she say?"

"You'll hear it on the video. I just want you to know that whatever she said should not have an effect on you." Elena says and pulls out a small flash-drive from her pocket and places it in my waiting hand.

I quickly plug up the drive to my computer and fire up the video. I sit behind my desk and Ana quickly sits on my lap, while Elena stays in her spot on the couch, keeping a close eye on Ana.

I have to give it to Ryan. The camera is perfectly placed to show Elena's back and the place where I assume Kate will fill, and he's standing behind a hidden door keeping an eye on the room.

 _The video_

 _Elena sits calmly as she sips on her wine, waiting for Kate Kavanaugh to arrive. Christian has arranged for them to have the private dining room at Canlis, making sure that no one would bother them._

 _Not that it would matter; the video will be uploaded online before the end of the day._

 _20 minutes later than planned, Kate walks into the room as if she owns the place, and the maleficent glint in her eyes makes Elena's skin crawl._

" _Elena, I'm so glad you finally decided to talk to me." Kate says as she give Elena an air kiss. "I'm really worried about Ana. She's not the same person anymore. I'm afraid Christian has had her brainwashed."_

" _What a wonderful friend you are, Kate." Elena says with a fake smile that Kate doesn't even notice. She's too far up her own ass to realize anything is going on. "I took the liberty of booking the private room here because the information I'm about to give you is of a very sensitive nature. It could ruin my reputation if anyone found out that I'm telling you this."_

 _Kate's beaming smile makes bile rise in Elena's throat, but she swallows it down with a sip of wine._

" _Your secret's safe with me, dear." Kate says as she places her hand over her heart. "I'll only use whatever information you tell me to open Ana's eyes to what a monster Christian really is."_

" _Like I said, you're a wonderful friend." Elena says, just as a waiter comes in to take their order. The two order salads, quickly dismissing the waiter, and within seconds, Kate has focused all her attention on Elena._

" _So, what do you have for me?"_

" _Before we start, I have a small confession to make." Elena says; the fake sweetness dropping from her lips as she moves to touch Kate's hand over the table. "I may have had an ulterior motive to meet with you today."_

" _What's that?" Kate asks, her eyebrows rising in confusion._

" _Your amazing care towards your friend has moved something in me, something I can't seem to be able to identify, something I thought I had lost after my Jennifer, may her soul rest in peace, left me." Elena says and wipes away a stray fake tear from her eyes. "Jennifer and I were supposed to get married when she was so cruelly taken from me by a drunk driver. We were so in love, and I never thought my heart would open up again, until I met you. You, Kate, have done what I thought would be impossible. You revived my heart."_

" _Excuse me?" Kate shrieks and pulls her hand away from Elena's. "You're gay?"_

" _If you want to be technical, I'm bisexual, but it's only semantics if you ask me." Elena says with a shrug and a smile. "I haven't been with a woman since my Jennifer passed away three years ago, but ever since I met you a few weeks ago, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I haven't been able to stop imagining the things I would like to do to you,_ with _you."_

" _Oh my God!" Kate shrieks again and jumps to her feet. "Are you out of your mind? What the hell gave you the idea that I might be a lesbian? Oh my God! Do I give that vibe? Do other people think I'm gay?" Kate asks in a panic, and Elena pretends to be confused for a second._

" _Not that it would matter what people think, but no sweetie, you don't give any kind of vibe." Elena says smugly as she stands up and takes a few steps towards Kate. "But I've successfully opened up the eyes of many women to the pleasures of the same sex, and I didn't see any harm in trying with you. You're an attractive woman, Kate, and I would love to bring you all kinds of pleasure. I would love to teach you how to bring a girl to her knees with desire. You can start by trying with me."_

" _You're fucking crazy! Get away from me!" Kate says as she tries to step away from Elena, but Elena just takes a few other step, cornering Kate against the wall. "Get your disgusting gay hands away from me, you_ lesbian _!" She spit the last word out as if it were an insult._

" _What's wrong, sweetie?" Elena asks as she runs her finger over Kate's hand, making Kate pull her hand away so quickly that it smacks against the door with a thud. "You're not homophobic, are you?"_

" _All you gay people are spawns of Satan and should be burned in public! You disgust me! You ruined our society!" Kate yells, her voice booming through the dining room. "I wish Hitler was still alive so that he would kill all of you!"_

" _Isn't your brother gay?" Elena asks as she takes a step away from Kate, making her quickly run back to the table and grab her purse._

" _He can burn at the stake for all I care!" Kate spits out, making Elena visibly blanch at her words, but she quickly regains her composure and looks at Kate with an evil smile._

" _Well, thank you for making things rather easy for me." Elena says, making Kate freeze in her spot by the door._

" _What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Kate says, making Elena point at the blinking light of the camera in the corner._

" _Our whole encounter was just filmed. It's going to be posted online before the end of the day, at which point I can assure you, you can kiss your social status goodbye."_

 _All color drains from Kate's face, and she simply stands there, frozen to her spot. Then a look of recognition flashes over her face and she turns to look at Elena with so much hatred in her eyes it could suffocate a person._

" _They did this, didn't they?" Kate spits out, her entire body shaking with fury. "That asshole and his bitch did this! She's such a miss-goody-two-shoes that she has his entire family wrapped around her fingers! She ruined my life, and I hope she loses him and her baby!"_

 _Before she can even move another step out the room, Elena's hand connects with her face before she grabs her by the hair and pulls her close to her. Elena then whispers something in her ear, making Kate blanch then scurry out of the room._

 _End video_

I'm stiff as a board after watching the video, and Ana is in no better condition in my lap. She's still staring at the now blank screen with silent tears falling down her face, and I quickly pull her to my chest in a lame effort to comfort her.

"Baby, just say the word and this will be on ever social media and website." I say as I rub my hand against her back.

"Do it." She says after a minute of silence. "I'm sure Ethan will feel the same way after he watches it, but just do it. Do it now."

"Consider it done." I say and look at Elena who now has a look of sympathy on her face.

"If you're both curious to know, that part where I whispered in her ear, I simply told her to watch her back because the entire LGTB community will want her ass now." Elena says, making Ana giggle.

"I bet she was terrified." Ana says as she wipes away her tears. She takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh. "Anyone who sees the video will know that it was staged. Is there a way to make it less obvious?"

I can't help but smile at the way her brain works, and I simply nod at her.

"I'll make sure Barney does what's needed to be done before he posts it online. Want to give Ethan a call before I give him the go ahead?" I ask, not wanting to cause a bigger rift between Ethan and his crazy sister without his knowledge.

 _Not that she thinks of him as a brother, obviously._

"I'll give him a call. Meanwhile, why don't you send him a copy?" Ana asks, and I maneuver my way around her still in my lap and quickly fire up an e-mail to Ethan. Within minutes, Ana's phone rings, and when she shows me the screen, I see Ethan's name blinking on it.

"Hello?" I hear her ask and take a deep breath. "You got the e-mail?" _pause._ "Yes, Elena came through." _Pause_. "Could you look at it and let me know if you want it online?" _pause._ "Yes, it's bad." _Pause._ "Are you sure?" _pause._ "Ok. I'll see you later."

With that, she hangs up, and I give her a questioning look.

"Ethan says to go ahead. He'll watch it, but it wouldn't really matter because he wants to see her down."

Both Elena and I let out long sighs before I forward the video to Barney with instructions to make sure that it appears to be a normal conversation rather than staged.

"Ok, my job here is done." Elena says as she stands up. "I'll catch you guys around, ok?"

"Thank you." Ana and I say at the same time, making Elena just smile at us.

"You too are spending too much time together." She says with a shake of her head. "Laters, guys!" She throws over her shoulder as she leaves the office, leaving Ana and me sitting there in complete silence.

"That was a new low, even for Kate." Ana says after a minute or two.

"She's just a crazy bitch who spews out crazy shit." I say as I wrap my arms around her and pull her to me again. "Don't let it bother you."

"Are you telling me that it didn't bother you to hear her wish that we…"

I cut her off with a kiss before she continues her words, simply because I can't hear them again. It was bad enough to hear Kate wish us such a despicable thing; I can't imagine how it would feel to hear it coming from Ana's mouth.

"It did." I say once I pull away from the long kiss. "But I'm not going anywhere, neither is our baby. Dr. Greene said that your health is much better and the baby is as healthy as they come. Nothing is going to happen."

"I hope so." Ana says and takes another deep breath, and then she stands up, leaving me feeling empty. "I have to get back to my office. I have a ton of work that needs to be finished before the end of the day."

"Don't overwork yourself." I say as I watch her smooth down the skirt of her dress, and I can't help but think about how it would feel to strip her out of it.

 _Hello, boner!_

"Are we heading home together or do you have to work late?"

"With you dressed like that, you're lucky I'm not dragging you home now." I say, making her blush before she bites her lower lip. I see her look at me with eyes clouded with lust, and then I watch her as she walks to the door.

I'm surprised to see her lock the door and turn to me with a seductive look on her face.

"I thought you had work to do." I say, not the least bothered by the fact that she's already reaching for the belt around her waist and unbuckling it.

"I don't think 15 more minutes are going to do any harm." She says as she takes slow steps towards me. "Besides, I can't leave you with that raging boner for everyone to see."

I look down at my crotch, and true to her words, there is a tent pitching at the front of my pants.

"This is only for me to see." She says as she cups my groin, eliciting a long moan from me.

"Yes, dear." I rasp out as I reach behind her to unzip her dress, but she just slaps my hands away and hunches her dress up to gather around her waist, exposing a pair of black lace panties that makes my mouth go dry.

With quick hands, she releases my throbbing cock without even pulling my pants down, then she climbs on the chair to straddle me. She then moves the small fabric of her panties to the side and impales herself on me, making us both let out loud moans.

"Fuck, baby." I gasp, holding her still for a minute, wanting to enjoy her tight heat around me for a little bit longer. "You're so wet."

"Only for you, baby." She moans as she begins to move slowly up and down my shaft. It takes her a few minutes to pick up her pace, and before I even realize it, she's fucking me with every ounce of her being.

I've always prided myself for having extreme control when it comes to sex, but Ana has the magical ability to render that control useless, and before I even realize it's happening, my orgasm sneaks up on me, making me let out a loud groan as I empty myself within her.

Luckily, my orgasm triggers her, and she slams her mouth against mine so that I can swallow her loud moans as her inner walls grab me in a vice. Her whole body shivers with the wave after wave of pleasure that consumes her, and even after she pulls away from our intense kiss, I feel her shiver a few more time as she rests her head on my shoulder.

"Wow." I gasp after a few more minutes, making her let out a small giggle.

"Shit, your pants must be ruined." She says as she looks down at where we are still joined, and I can't help but smile at her.

"Don't worry, I have a spare suit here." I say, making her raise a questioning eyebrow at me. "You never know when you might spell something all over your clothes, or when you girlfriend decides to fuck you in your office."

"Smartass." She giggles as she smacks my arm before she reaches for a tissue and stands up, quickly placing the tissue between her legs.

"Do you have any idea what this does to me?" I ask, receiving another questioning look. "To know that you're walking around with my cum inside you, and dripping down your legs."

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is a possessive cave-man thing." She says as she throws a wink at me while she fixes her clothes.

"Damn right, it is." I say, standing up as well. When I look down at my crotch, there's a big wet spot there, and if I didn't know it would be totally creepy, I would stay in those same pants for the rest of the day.

"I really should get back to my office now." She says as she places a quick kiss on my lips. "I'll see you at 5."

"Ok, baby." I say and watch her leave my office with a stupid grin on my face.

 _Mine!_

 _That woman is mine!_

* * *

At exactly 3:30, I receive an e-mail from Barney with the edited copy of the video, where it starts right after Elena and Kate dismiss the waiter, and ends where Kate wishes that Ethan burns at the stake. The e-mail also has information on how he has sent it anonymously to the Nooz and TMZ. Although I know that editing the video to show what she said about Ana and our baby would make things a million times worse for her, I'm glad to see that Barney ends the edited copy at the point it does.

15 minutes later, I receive another e-mail from him with links to the pages where the video has been published, but before I can even open up one of them, my phone starts ringing with Elliot's name flashing on the screen.

"A heads up would've been nice, bro!" Elliot says as soon as I say _hello_.

"What do you mean?" I ask, playing innocent, even though I know Elliot would never buy it.

"Cut the crap, C. I know you set this up." He says, and for a second, I worry that he might actually be pissed about it. "And it was fucking genius!" He says, putting my mind at ease.

"It was the only thing we could think about." I say nonchalantly, making Elliot give a booming laugh.

"The bitch might as well pack her shit and leave Seattle. The video is going viral, dude. There are even hashtags trending on Twitter about her."

"It's already on Twitter?"

"Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram." Elliot says, and I know I now have an evil smirk decorating my face.

"Good." I simply say as I open the first link that Barney has sent me. It takes me to the homepage of the Nooz, and right there on top, is the video with the caption _**Seattle's Homophobic Heiress**_ **.** "What are the hashtags trending?"

"So far the ones I've seen are **#KavanaughBitch, #SeattleHomophobicElite,** and **#GaysAgainstKate**." Elliot says with a snicker. "I'm sure there'll be more before the end of the day."

"Keep me posted." I say before I hang up.

Elliot knows that I don't have any accounts on Social Media, and he's always been one to let me know whenever I'm mentioned on them. He and Mia have been my unofficial references when it comes to these outlets, and I know they'll be keeping a close eye on this video.

For the rest of the day, I immerse myself in work, all the while keeping a close eye on my e-mail. I received two more reports from Barney with the updates about the video, and one from Welch informing me that one Kate Kavanaugh has not left her father's house since she returned from lunch with Elena.

Apparently, the video has already been shared on Facebook more than 5K times, with at least 25K comments on it. Twitter is also blowing up about Kate's obnoxious behavior, and a few of the prominent gay figures of Seattle's community have published stories on Instagram condemning Kate.

Once word came out that Kate's parents have not put a stop to her behavior and have supported her in her crusade against her own brother, the campaign against Kate extended to Kavanaugh Media as well, making its stock drop dramatically in the last two hours alone.

"Andrea, could you please ask Ros to come to my office?" I speak into my intercom, my mind already jumping with the possibilities in regards to Kavanaugh Media.

"Yes, Sir." Andrea's voice fills my otherwise quiet office, and within 5 minutes, Ros marches into my office with an angry look on her face.

"How your brother dated that fucking cunt is beyond me!" She swears as she sits on the seat in front of my desk. "Fucking bitch!"

"Well, you'll have to ask him that because I still haven't figured out the answer to that mystery." I say and look closely at her, realizing that she's obviously affected by the video.

"What did you want?" She asks after taking a deep breath.

"Kavanaugh Media." I say, making her face split into a huge grin. "Its stock is dropping, and now would be the perfect time to sweep in and take it at the lowest price."

"Kavanaugh will not go down without a fight." She says after a second of contemplating my words.

"He will have to if he wants to keep half of his fortune." I say and look at an alert that I just received on my e-mail, informing me that 2 of the main board members at Kavanaugh Media have resigned an hour ago, effective immediately. "2 of his board members just quit, and I can only imagine that the rest would soon follow. No matter what a person thinks of the LGTB community, no one wants to be publically linked to a homophobic family and business."

"What are you going to do with it? We already have a stellar PR department."

"I have my plans." I say, an evil smirk decorating my face, making Ros only nod at me.

"Consider it done." She says and stands up. "Kavanaugh Media will be yours by the end of next week."

With that, she leaves me alone in my office. I look at the time and find it approaching 5 p.m., so I just gather my things and head out to meet Ana at Grey Publishing.

When I don't see her waiting for me by the elevator like she usually does, I go into her office and find her there with Jose and Ethan, both her and Jose wrapping their arms around Ethan protectively.

"Is everything ok?" I ask, the worry in the pit of my stomach increasing when I see Ethan with blood-shot eyes. "Are you ok, man?"

"Yes." Ethan says as he takes a deep breath. "Thank you."

Somehow, I don't think he's thanking me for asking if he's ok.

"Don't mention it." I say with a small smile.

"Jose and Ethan are joining us for dinner." Ana informs me, and even though I was hoping for a night alone with her, I just nod, fully knowing that Ethan needs his closest friends around him right now.

"Would you like me to invite Elliot and Mia as well?" I ask, receiving a nod from Jose. I pull out my phone and fire a text to both my siblings, letting them know that they don't have the option to decline the invitation.

Within seconds, I receive texts from the two of them with _"sure"_ and _"of course"_ , and I smile at how protective they have become of Ethan and Jose in such a short time.

"I'm going to grab my stuff, ok baby." I hear Jose tell Ethan before he places a quick kiss on his lips then heads towards the door. As he passes by me, he just squeezes my shoulder gently and mouths a silent _thank you_.

"Why don't you go wash your face, Ethan?" Ana suggests as she rubs her hang against Ethan's back, and then she points at the door placed on the left wall of her office. "You can use my private bathroom."

Ethan silently nods and goes there, locking the door behind him and leaving Ana and me alone.

"How is he holding up?" I ask as Ana moves to stand in front of me and wraps her arms around my neck.

"As well as can be expected, given the circumstances." She sighs. "I guess watching the video assured him once and for all that there's never going to be a chance of making amends with his family."

"Was he hoping for that?" I ask, receiving a look that screams _what the hell do you think_ from her.

"I think the video has given him closure." She says and starts playing with the buttons on my shirt. "The same kind of closure I got from confronting Carla."

 _Aha! Now_ that _makes sense._

"I see."

"I also think that it means more to him that you did this than it does to me." She says and looks at me with so much love in her eyes that I actually feel like I'm about to suffocate from its intensity. "So, if he keeps telling you _thank you_ , let him, because he doesn't know what he can do to really show his appreciation."

"There's nothing to thank me for." I say with a shrug, making her place a quick kiss on my lips.

"I love you." She tell me, making me smile down at her.

"I love you too, both of you." I say as I rub my hand over her still flat abdomen.

 _I can't wait until she starts showing!_

We hear the bathroom door open, and out walks Ethan who looks slightly better than he did a few minutes ago.

"Ready to head out?" Ana asks as she goes to grab her bag, but I quickly take it before she does.

"Yes." Ethan says. He then takes a deep breath and looks at me, and I can see the unspoken appreciation in his eyes. I only nod at him, silently telling him that I understand, and he just smiles at me before he heads out of the office and to his waiting boyfriend.

As the four of us head out to our cars, I look back at my life and I am amazed at how much it has changed since Ana has become a part of it.

Before Ana, I would have never entertained the idea of having anyone over for dinner on a weekend, let alone a weeknight. I barely had any friends, and I rarely hung out with my siblings outside of family gatherings.

Now, it's safe to say that I have two good friends in Jose and Ethan, and I've come to realize that my siblings are more fun to hang out with than I had thought.

And it's all thanks to Ana.

Without her, my life would still be the same boring routine. Stale.

Lonely.

She's the one responsible for making me a better brother, a better son, and a better friend.

She's the one responsible for making me a better man, and I'll be damned if I would ever let her go.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello all! I'm still alive, but real life has gone Bastille on my ass. Right now, I'm not having the chance to write as much as I want, therefore, the updates are going to be slower than usual. Having said that, I promise you, this story will be completed. I will not abandon it nor will I abandon you: my favorite readers.**

 **This chapter was going to be much longer than this, but since I don't have the time to finish it, I had to split it and post the first part. Once I finish the second part, I'll post it. Chapter 21 is almost half-way through as well! Also, please note that I don't have a beta, and I have not been able to check this chapter to the level of my satisfaction.**

 **Don't forget, I have a pinterest account now, and I try to regularly update as well. Link is on my profile!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

 **Ana POV**

 **Friday, Feb. 13** **th** **, 2015**

"Jose, you have to calm the hell down. You're driving me crazy!"

Hearing that, Jose finally stops pacing my office and lets out a very loud sigh. I can't stop myself from rolling my eyes at him, even though I let a very small smile decorate my lips.

"There's nothing to worry about. Ethan loves you, and the only answer he's going to give you is a yes."

"What if he doesn't like it?" Jose asks and starts pacing again, making me giggle at him.

"He will love it!" I say, and to make him feel better, I add. "You should give Christian tips for when he decides to propose."

Ever since the whole debacle with the Kavanaughs, which happened a little under a month ago, Jose has been planning the perfect proposal for Ethan. He decided to propose to him on Valentine's Day, which is tomorrow, and for the past week, he's been driving me crazy with his nerves.

As if Ethan will turn him down!

The plan is to have Elliot, who got his pilot license about a year ago, to take the two of them on a helicopter tour, using Charlie Tango, then fly over Madison Park beach, where Jose has arranged for a huge _marry me_ in candles to be laid out over the sand. Afterwards, they will fly back to Escala for a romantic dinner at our apartment, since Christian is taking me away for Valentine's Day.

Christian was more than happy to lend out his helicopter for Jose's special plan, and he even said that if it weren't Valentine's Day, he would fly them out himself.

Christian has been relentless in his acquisition of Kavanaugh Media, and he's at the final stages of making the company his. Like we suspected, Eamon Kavanaugh refused to go down without a fight, but after having his reputation dragged through mud for his family's despicable behavior, and after his business suffered drastically, he realized that his only option would be to sell, even when the price Christian offered was less than half the value of the company.

Christian was willing to buy the company for it's current value, under the condition that he and his wife release an official statement apologizing for Kate's behavior, and then the 3 of them had to apologize to Ethan. However, he refused, getting even higher on Christian's shit list.

Christian gave me the details of his process to acquire Kavanaugh Media, but I couldn't remember it even if my life depended on it. All I know is that Christian is planning to give the company to Ethan as an engagement gift. That is why he is pushing for the deal to be finalized today, so that he can give Ethan the official papers when we get back on Sunday.

The minute Christian found out that Ethan studied journalism, the decision was made. Then Jose told us about his proposal plan, and Christian didn't even have to think twice about it.

"You really think he's going to say yes?" Jose asks, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"Yes!" I stress as I stand up to wrap my arms around him. "Jose, as much as I love Ethan, you're my best friend, my person, and Ethan would be a fool to turn you down. You really need to calm down, sweetie."

"I can't help it!" Jose sighs as he hugs me. "It will kill me if he says no. I love him too much."

"And he loves you just as much." I assure him. "The only thing I ask of you is to call me the minute he gives you his answer."

"Uh…" Jose stutters and he suddenly looks uncomfortable. "I have strict instructions to leave you alone until Sunday."

"What?!" I shriek, then it downs to me that he must know Christian's plans. "You know! Spill!"

"I'm not saying anything!"

"Jose! I'm your best friend!"

"And because you're my best friend, I'm keeping my lips sealed."

"Jose!" I whine, but Jose just shakes his head at me. "Is he going to propose as well?"

"I wouldn't answer that question even if I knew the answer to it!" Jose chides with a roll of his eyes, and then he looks at me with questioning eyes. "Do you want him to propose?"

I sigh at that, not really knowing how to answer him.

 _Do I want him to propose?_

"I know I want to spend the rest of my life with him." I say after a silent minute.

"Have you mentioned that you're over your whole commitment issues?" Jose asks as he takes a seat on my couch.

"He knows I'm getting better with it, but I haven't flat out told him that I'm ready to get married." I say and rub my forehead. "I know that he wants to be married to me, he said so more than once. I'm just not sure how I feel about telling him that I want him to propose."

"Would you prefer to be married before or after the baby is born?" Jose asks, making me rub my hand over my still non-existing bump.

 _I can't wait to have a bump._

"I don't really care, as long as we're married." I find myself saying, realizing that I really don't have a preference.

"Then you better start dropping hints, sweet cheeks." Jose says, just as Christian walks into my office with a huge smile on his face.

"It's done." He says, making both Jose and I smile wildly at him. "Kavanaugh Media is now officially the property of GEH."

"About freaking time!" Jose gasps, raising his hands in a silent _hallelujah_ move. "Ethan is going to be psyched about this!"

"It'll be up to him if he wants to keep the company and run it, or if he wants to sell it." Christian says as he moves to where I'm sitting and gives me a quick kiss. "Hello beautiful."

"Hello, handsome." I say with a smile.

"I sent you an e-mail with all the details for tomorrow, Jose." Christian says as he turns to look at Jose, who immediately looks nervous again. "Elliot will be ready for anything you need, but you already know that. Mia will be cooking for you guys, her gift to you. I told her that I would arrange for catering, but she flat out refused. I only ask that you don't use our bed."

"Damn. I was hoping to do just that, because that girl cannot stop talking about your bed of clouds!" Jose jokes, making me giggle, and then he sobers up a bit. "I can't thank you enough for helping me out in this, man." He says as he takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh. "I just hope he says yes."

"He'll be a fool not to, and I have no doubt that by the time we get back, you'll be an engaged man."

"Thank you." Jose says and looks at his watch. "Shouldn't you too be heading out?"

"Head out where?" I ask and look at my laptop, to see the time approaching 3 p.m.

"To the airport." Christian says with a beaming smile.

"I haven't packed yet! I thought we were leaving tomorrow!" I say and start to panic.

"Mrs. Jones already packed everything. Our luggage is in the car downstairs." Christian says, quickly calming me down.

"You're not going to tell me where we're going until we get there, aren't you?"

"I'll give you a hint." Christian says with a wink. "It's a long flight, and before you worry yourself, I already cleared it out with Dr. Greene."

"Ok…" I say, my mind already going over the world map, trying to figure out where he's taking me.

Over the course of our relationship, I've mentioned more than one place that I would really like to visit, and he's always promised to show me the world.

"Come on, baby." Christian says as he starts to gather my things around.

"Just give me a second to send an e-mail to Jack." I say as I fire up my e-mail, quickly typing an e-mail informing my boss that I'm heading out early, even though something tells me that he already knows about this.

As soon as Christian had SIP under GEH umbrella, he threw Roach out on his ass, and appointed Jack Hyde as director. Since his position of Senior Editor was now vacant, Jack decided that I should take his place. At first, I thought he was doing it under Christian's influence, but he assured me that he wasn't. He told me that he has been trying to get me a senior editor position for at least a year, but Roach was refusing.

Once the e-mail is out of my outbox, I shut down my laptop and stand up. I give Jose a quick hug, and wish him good luck again before Christian and I make our way downstairs to where Taylor is waiting for us by the SUV.

"The jet is ready and waiting, Sir." Taylor says as he drives into the afternoon Seattle traffic.

"Excellent." Christian says as he pulls out his phone. "I just need to finish up a few things before we get to the airport. Ok, baby?"

"Sure." I say and turn my attention to Taylor. "What can I bribe you with to tell me where we're going?"

"Nothing." Taylor says, not missing a beat, making Christian snicker beside me.

"You really should give up, baby." He says, not taking his eyes off his phone.

"But I want to know!" I whine, sounding like a 5 year-old.

"You will, in about 15 hours."

"15 hours?" I shriek. "Where the hell are you taking me, Grey?"

"Somewhere you said you've always wanted to go." He says, throwing me a wink, and then focusing back on his phone.

"I'm sorry you'll have to spend Valentine's Day away from Gail, Taylor." I say, genuinely sad that the two won't be together on the most romantic day of the year.

"I will not be joining you this time." Taylor says, making my eyes go wide.

 _We never go anywhere without security._

"Ryan and Reynolds will be accompanying you on this trip." Taylor elaborates, and I can't help but feel a little disappointed.

I fully understand the need for security, but I was hoping for a vacation for the two of us alone.

"Well, I hope the two of you enjoy your time." I say with a smile. "I'm sure we will."

"Thank you."

With that, I pull out my phone and start going through my e-mail until we get to the airport. I would check my Facebook to kill the time, but I had to shut that down when news of our relationship became public.

 _Another thing to thank Kate for._

We reach the airport 30 minutes after we leave Grey House, and as soon as the car parks in front of the GEH private jet, I feel my breath catch in my throat.

 _It's so freaking beautiful!_

Within minutes, we board the plane, and I'm speechless at the beautiful interior.

"Welcome on board, Ms. Steele." Christian says from behind me, and I can only nod back in response.

"This…" I begin to say after a few minutes of just looking around from my spot. "I don't even have the words."

"I take it you like?"

"I love!" I gasp and turn to wrap my arms around his neck. "This is really beautiful, Christian."

"Wait until you see the bedroom."

"There's a bedroom?" I ask, my eyes growing wide.

"Of course there's a bedroom." He says, then he brings his head closer to my ear. "And you bet your sweet ass that we'll be joining the mile high club today."

"Oh." Is the only thing I can say as I feel the blush decorating my face.

"Welcome on board Mr. Grey, Ms. Steele." A beautiful blonde says from the cockpit's door with a warm smile on her face.

"Thank you, Natalia." Christian says with a polite nod.

"If you would take your seats please, Stephan is ready." She says before she turns to look at me. "Please let me know if you need anything, Ms. Steele."

"Thank you." I say, smiling back at her before Christian takes my hand and leads me to our seats. I notice Ryan and Reynolds already sitting up front, and soon Natalia joins them as the pilot's voice booms through the speakers.

"Good evening, Mr. Grey, Ms. Steele. We should be arriving to our destination in approximately 14 hours and 25 minutes. The weather forecast promises a smooth flight. Please buckle your seatbelts and stay in your seats until the sign is off."

"He's not saying anything either, is he?" I ask, making Christian just shake his head with a smirk.

"You'll only know when we approach and you see the view from the window."

"Then you better keep me occupied." I say as I rub my hand up his thigh, earning a low growl from him.

"I fully intend to." He says as he grabs my hand and pulls it up to his lips.

"Good." I say, my voice coming out in a whisper.

 _I just hope the bedroom is soundproofed._

The second the seatbelt sign goes off, Christian unbuckles my seatbelt, then his, and he drags me to the back where there are two doors.

"This one is my office. I'll show you later." He says, pointing to the door on the right, before he opens the door to the left, revealing a large bed.

"Wow." I say as I look at the room, which is rather impressive for being housed inside a jet.

"Glad you like it." He says as he stands behind me, wrapping his arms around me and resting his hand on my abdomen.

"Is this room soundproofed?" I ask as I turn around to face him.

"It is." Christian says with a smirk, making me raise a questioning eyebrow at him. "Nightmares."

"Oh." I say, completely having forgotten about them. "Well, I'm glad."

"Are you planning to scream tonight, Ms. Steele?" He asks as he starts to nibble on my earlobe, earning a small moan from me.

"It all depends on you, Mr. Grey." I say, knowing that I'm challenging him with that simple sentence. "Are you going to be able to make me scream?"

"Challenge accepted, Ms. Steele." He says before he crashes his lips to mine.

For the next two hours, Christian shows me that he is not one to be challenged, because he had me screaming the plane down, and by the time he was done with me, I was sleeping before he came back from the adjoining bathroom with a washcloth to clean me up.

* * *

"Baby, wake up."

I open my eyes to a dimly lit room, and I remember where I am the minute I stretch my body, feeling deliciously sore from Christian's efforts on my body.

"Hey." I say, my voice coming out hoarse from screaming and moaning too much.

"Hey." Christian says with a smug smile on his face.

 _Arrogant._

"How long did I sleep?" I ask as I sit up and take the glass of orange juice he offers me, downing it in one gulp.

"8 hours." He says, the smug smile firmly planted on his face.

"Wow."

"Yup." He says, popping out the _p_.

"Well, thank God the room is soundproofed." I say as I get out of the bed, earning a growl from Christian at my state of nakedness.

"Get dressed." He says as he looks at anything but me. "You need to eat, and I won't be responsible for my actions if you keep walking around naked."

I giggle at him as I take a pair of jeans and t-shirt from my carryon, and I notice that all the clothes I have in there are summer clothes.

 _He must be taking me somewhere warm._

"I'm going to take a shower and meet you outside in a bit." I say, receiving a nod from him before he leaves me alone.

15 minutes later, after enjoying a shower I never dreamt of enjoying thousands of miles up in the air, I'm dressed and join him outside. Once I'm back in my seat, Natalia serves us a dinner of grilled chicken with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes, and once again, I'm amazed by the luxury of being the girlfriend of a millionaire.

"What is a person supposed to do around here for fun?" I ask once we've finished our dinner, making Christian look at me with genuine confusion.

"Umm… I'm not sure." Christian says, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "I didn't think about that. I usually spend my time on long flights working, but not this time."

"I think I saw a book in my carryon." I say as I move to stand, but then I notice Ryan and Reynolds playing cards. "On a second thought, how about the four of us play a game of cards?"

"I don't know about that." Christian says, obviously not sure about socializing with his staff, but I just huff at him and walk towards the two security guys.

"Hey guys." I say, making them look at me with warm smiles.

"Hello, Ms. Steele." Ryan says, making me roll my eyes. "How can we help you?"

"We still have about 6 more hours until we land, and I was wondering if Christian and I could join you in a game of cards." I say, and the two suddenly look as uncomfortable as Christian. "It'll be fun."

"Umm…" Reynolds stutters, exchanging looks between Ryan and Christian.

"Come over here guy." Christian says. "Taylor always complains about you two beating him at poker. Let me have a shot."

"Sir?" Ryan asks, confusion all over his face.

"You heard the boss." I say with a beaming smile, making the two look at each other, then they shrug and gather the card before they follow me to our corner.

After an hour, I realize that I'm way out of my league playing with these three, who have perfect poker faces and a very strong competitive streak. When I decide that I just want to sit back and watch, the three seriously let go, apparently having been holding back for my sake, and by the end of the second hour, Ryan has won a thousand dollars from Christian, who insisted the play for real money.

"You're fired." Christian jokes with a smile on his face, making Ryan just smile at him.

"Yes, Sir." Ryan says with a nod and a smile.

"Do you happen to have any board games here?" I ask, making Christian call for Natalie and ask her. She just smiles and nods, then she returns from the staff room with a Monopoly and Scrabble.

"Yay! Scrabble!" I say, already reaching for it.

"I'm out." Reynolds quickly says. "I'm not playing Scrabble against an editor, a CEO, and an English major ex-marine."

"You're an English major?" I ask Ryan, who just shrugs. "Excellent!"

For the next hour, the three of us compete for the highest score, and after the first round, I discover that I'm just as competitive as the three men. When I place the last tile on the board and start squealing like a schoolgirl, Ryan and Christian just shoot me with deathly glares while Reynolds just bursts out laughing at us.

"In your face, Grey!" I say and jump to do a little happy dance. "In. Your. Face."

"What the hell is that?" Christian asks, laughing at the way I'm jumping around.

"This is my happy dance." I say, not stopping until everyone is laughing their asses off at my silliness.

"In that case, I'm more than happy to lose to you if you're going to do this cute dance every time you win." Christian says once he stops laughing.

"We're going to get some rest before we land, Sir." Ryan says as he stands up and head back to his seat, but not before he receives a nod from Christian.

"If you two utter a word to anyone about what happened, you're both fired." Christian jokes again, receiving nods from Ryan and Reynolds.

"We still have a few more hours before we land." Christian says once I sit back beside him. "What would you like to do?"

"How about we go back to the bedroom and relax a little bit?" I ask, my hormones already going on over drive.

 _Got to enjoy the pregnancy hormones while it's still easy to have sex._

"If you keep this up, I'm going to get you pregnant every chance I get." Christian says, already standing up and heading towards the bedroom, making me give out a small giggle as I follow him.

"Yeah, let's see if you'll feel the same once I'm as big as a house!"

"I'm willing to bet my entire fortune that you're going to be sexiest pregnant woman the world has ever seen." Christian says as he locks the door.

"Whatever makes you feel better, sweetie." I say as I begin to remove my t-shirt, but Christian stops me.

"Let me." He says, reaching for the hem of my t-shirt. He looks into my eyes as he slowly lifts the t-shirt up, and we only break eye contact for the split second it takes him to remove the material from over my head. "If there's one thing I love the most about you being pregnant, it's those." He says as he reaches to cup my breasts over the thin material of my bra. They've grown at least two sizes so far, and from what I've read, they're only going to grow more.

"Yes." I moan as he massages them softly before he pulls both cups down, making them perk up. I try to brace myself for the sensation I know will surely come, but the minute his lips attach to one of my nipples, it's like he's doing this for the first time.

My hands immediately go to his head, and I gently tug at his hair as I feel my knees go weak with pleasure. Just as I feel myself approaching my climax, he pulls away and starts to remove the rest of my clothes, giving me a few minutes to regulate my breathing. Once I'm fully naked, he leads me to the bed and positions me in the middle before he starts undressing himself, slowly, allowing me to enjoy every inch of skin he exposes to my hungry eyes.

My eyebrows raise in confusion when he doesn't approach me but pulls a chair and sits in front of me.

"Spread your legs." He says, his voice authoritative and commanding, and I just do that. "Touch yourself."

"Huh?"

"I want to see you pleasure yourself, Ana." He says as he sits back and fists his erection. "I want to see you touch yourself."

The mere sight of him stroking himself has me running one hand down from my breasts to my core, while my other hand teases my breasts. I see his eyes turn darker as my fingers rub over my wet folds, and his breathing becomes labored as I insert one finger inside myself.

"God, you look stunning like this." He gasps as he continues to stroke himself.

I only moan as I insert another finger and continue to tug at my nipple, switching between my right breast and my left. I feel my eyes roll into the back of my head at the sensation, which is in no way compared to the pleasure Christian brings me, but the whole eroticism of the situation gives me a level of pleasure I never imagined.

"Look at me!" Christian commands, making my eyes snap open. The amount of love and lust I see in his eyes brings me closer to the edge of the cliff, but just as I'm so close to tipping off, he moves to me, pulling my hand out of my core and thrusts himself inside me.

"Oh God!" I scream, his sudden thrust pushing me over the edge.

"It's Christian, baby." He says smugly as he keeps thrusting into me at a punishing pace. "But God is good too."

"Fuck yes!" I gasp as I wrap my arms and legs around him, pulling him even deeper.

My inner walls begin to flutter again as he starts to swirl his hips, hitting my clit with his pubic bone and rubbing against my g-spot with his cock. After a few more thrust, I detonate around him again, sending him over his own edge.

"Damn." He gasps as he collapses beside me.

"Damn, it is." I breathe out, barely able to formulate a coherent sentence.

"I'm definitely keeping you pregnant." He says, making me giggle that's interrupted by a sudden yawn. "Sleep, beautiful." Christian says as he positions me under the covers and places a quick kiss against my temple.

"You should sleep as well." I say as I rest my head against his shoulder.

"I will." He says as he starts to play with my hair, and before I even realize it, I'm out cold.

* * *

"Oh my God!" I gasp, my face stuck against the plane window and I look down at the stunning view below me. "Oh my freaking God!"

"Happy?" I head Christian ask from behind me, but I don't even turn around to look at him, my eyes glues to the lights of The Palm below me.

"Are you fucking kidding me? We're in Dubai! Of course I'm happy."

"Well, you need to fasten your seatbelt baby." Christian says, making me give out a very unlady-like whine. "We're landing in a little bit."

I keep looking out the window for a little longer, but when Natalia approaches us to tell us that we will be landing in 10 minutes, I detach my face from the window and fasten my seatbelt, my knees jumping from excitement.

Almost 45 minutes later, we're leaving the jet and heading towards a private SUV that is waiting for us on the tarmac. Ryan quickly takes his place behind the wheel as Reynolds loads up our luggage, and soon we're leaving the airport and heading towards our hotel.

Just like in the jet, my face is plastered against the window as we pass by Dubai's most famous landmarks, mainly Burj Khalifa. To say that building is stunning would be the understatement of the century.

Dubai has always fascinated me with how quickly it has become one of the best cities in the world. Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest building in the world, but that is not the only landmark of Dubai. The biggest shopping mall in the world is in Dubai as well, and from what I have read, it has an amazing dancing fountain. They also have The Palm, which is basically a bunch of man-made islands built to form the shape of a palm tree right off the shore of the gulf, and it can be seen from the sky.

As the car moves away from Burj Khalifa, I realize we are heading in the opposite direction from the city's downtown.

"Where are we going?"

"Atlantis." Christian simply answers, and I feel myself getting more excited, if that was even possible.

Atlantis is the most luxurious hotel in Dubai, and it is built on one of the Palm islands, right on the beach. Due to the time difference, it's already the 14th here in Dubai, and the time is almost 4 a.m., and I wonder if we will have enough time for me to do everything I've wanted to do in Dubai.

"This is amazing." I say as I reach to hold his hand. "Thank you."

Christian just gives me his patent smile, the one that sets me on fire, and he only squeezes my hand in return.

30 minutes after leaving the airport, we are driving up to the massive building that is Atlantis Hotel. I am literally at loss of words as we walk through the lobby to the reception desk, my eyes studying every small details of the place.

I'm brought back to reality by the voice of the receptionist warmly welcoming Christian, and my mouth drops open as I hear what he says.

"Welcome to Dubai, Mr. Grey." The young receptionist, who I'm guessing is Indian, says in perfect English. "You'll be staying at the Royal Bridge Suite, where you will have your private service of butler, housekeeping, and chef. As part of your package, you have two complementary dolphin encounters, a complimentary private cabana at the Water Park, and unlimited access to the Lost Chambers Aquarium. Atlantis the Palm also offers many entertainment options and relaxation facilities. You can receive any of the spa services in the privacy of your suite should you choose to book one."

"Do you offer maternity massages?" Christian asks as he looks at the small booklet the receptionist handed him.

"Yes." He answers, making Christian look at me with questioning eyes. "Would you like one for later today, baby?"

"Um…" I stutter, not really able to find my voice.

"Book us in for a private massages later today at 4 p.m., as well as a full spa treatment for my wife." Christian says, and I feel giddy at hearing him say that.

 _His wife._

"I understand that you offer helicopter tours as well." Christian says, and my jaw hits the floor once again.

"Yes, sir." The receptionist says, pulling out another flyer. "There are four options for you to choose from. The Fun Flight Tour for 15 minutes, the City Circuit Tour for 25 minutes, the Lavish Loop for 45 minutes, and the Sensational Sixty for 60 minutes. We also offer a helicopter drop-off service to the airport."

"We'll take the Sensational Sixty for Monday at noon."

"Very well, sir."

I notice Ryan and Reynolds standing to my back with our luggage at their feet, waiting for further instructions from Christian, and for a second, I wonder where they will be staying.

5 minutes later, a member of the concierge team approaches us with a luggage trolley and he helps Ryan load up the bags on it. He then leads the way to two private elevators, where he, Ryan and Reynolds boards the first one, while Christian and I take the second.

I'm still mesmerized by the beauty surrounding me, and as talkative as I can be, I'm still at loss of words.

"Are you ok?" Christian asks, a hint of worry to his voice, and when I only nod back at him, I notice the V between his eyebrows deepening a bit more. "Too much?"

I shake my head in response, making him relax a little bit and simply smile back at me. Once the elevator stops, we step out into a stunning private lobby, and my breath catches in my throat again. We stay back for a few minutes as Ryan and Reynolds do a quick sweep of the place, and judging by the looks on their faces when they come back, I can tell that the suite is more than impressive.

"Let's go. You must be tired." Christian says as he takes my hand and leads me down the corridor to where the huge lounge of the suite is. For what seems to be the millionth time in the last hour, my jaw hits the floor again.

"Wow." I hear Christian say, and suddenly, I don't feel so bad about being _this_ impressed. "This is better than I imagined it would be."

"Yes, wow." I finally manage to say, making Christian chuckle at me.

"So she speaks."

"Shut up!" I say, smacking his arm. "This is a bit overwhelming."

"You don't say?" He jokes again, making me roll my eyes at him. He then turns to Ryan and Reynolds, excusing them for the night, and I watch them as they take their small bags and walk to the far end of the suite.

"They're staying here with us?" I ask, horrified by the notion of them hearing us.

"It's the best security option." Christian says, obviously not entirely happy with the situation. "If they didn't, they would be staying at least 3 floors below us. That's too far. I requested that they change the room structure before hand. Their room was supposed to be the one right next to ours, but I had them move the two single beds to the far-end room."

"That's better." I say, giving out a small sigh of relief. I've long since accepted the fact that being with Christian means that someone will almost always be with us. Even at home, security have their own quarters, but they are still in the same apartment as us. However, I draw the line at them hearing my screams of ecstasy, which I'm sure will come out more than once during our stay here.

Which reminds me…

"Monday?" I ask, making Christian look at me with a little bit of confusion. "You booked the helicopter tour for Monday. I thought we would be back by then."

"Two days are not enough for us to do everything." Christian says with a small shrug. "We leave Tuesday morning. I already talked to Jack about that and he was OK with it."

"Ok." I simply say, making Christian look at me with wide eyes.

 _Not going to argue today, babe._

"Ok?"

"Ok."

"Ok!" He says with a wide smile before he pulls me to him and places a quick kiss on my lips. "Want a quick tour of the place?"

I nod at him excitedly, making him take my hand once more as we walk around the massive suite. It has 3 bedrooms, one being the master with two bathrooms, an office, a majlis, and a private balcony. The king-size bed faces the balcony's glass door, with a view overlooking the beach and sea. The room next to ours now has a queen-sized bed, but it would've housed two single beds which have been moved to Ryan and Reynolds's room. There is a long balcony on the left side of the entire suite overlooking the city, while there is another long balcony on the right side of the suite overlooking the beach. Next to the huge lounge, there is a large dining room, with a _big_ dining table that could seat up to 16 people. At the end of the suite, right next to Ryan and Reynolds's room, there is an exit that leads to the East Tower of the hotel.

"This must cost a fortune, Christian!" I gasp, realizing just how much this would cost.

"Every penny is well spent, just to see this look of happiness and wonder on your face." Christian says as he leads me back to our bedroom. I let out a small yawn as I start undressing, making Christian look at his watch.

"It's almost 5:30 now. We should get some rest before we start ahead with our day." Christian says as he starts undressing himself, and I force myself to look away from him, simply because I know I'm too tired to start anything I won't be able to finish.

"What time does the sun come up?" I ask, eyeing the telescope that is strategically placed in the space between the bedroom and the balcony, in front of what can easily be mistaken for a tantra chair.

"At 6:54." He says, and I look at him with a raised eyebrow at his accuracy. "I checked."

"I don't think I'm going to be able to last until then." I say with another yawn. "Maybe I'll wake up to watch it tomorrow."

"Ok." Christian says, now down to his boxers. I close my eyes and count to ten, trying to get my hormones in check, and when I open them again, I find him already under the covers.

"Sweetie, I love you, and as much as I would love to ravish your sweet body right now, you and I both need to rest so that we can enjoy tomorrow." He says with a warm smile.

"I'm going to wash up and join you." I say, reaching for my nightgown from my bag. I make my way to the luxurious bathroom, and I have to force myself not to study every small details in there. I go through my nighttime routine quickly, and then go back to the bedroom, where I find Christian already sleeping.

With a warm smile on my face, I climb into bed next to him, and rest my head on his chest before I let sleep claim me as well.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **Ana POV**

 **Saturday, Feb. 14** **th** **, 2015**

I wake up to the soft rays of the morning sun tickling my face, and I smile as I quickly remember where I am.

 _Dubai._

 _I'm in Dubai!_

I reach out for Christian, but I find the bed empty beside me, making me sit up, only to find him leaning over the balcony railing, still dressed in his boxers.

"Morning, handsome." I say as I walk up to him, not bothering with a robe. The balcony is extremely private and very high up. "Happy Valentine's day."

"Morning, beautiful. Happy Valentine's day to you." He says as he turns to look at me. I notice him holding a steaming cup of coffee, and I suddenly crave some.

"Do they have decaff?" I ask, making him raise an eyebrow at me. He knows I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but right now, I could kill for one.

"I'm sure they do." He says before he pulls me in for my morning kiss, but before I can deepen it further, he pulls away and walks back to the bedroom. I see him reaching for the phone, probably ordering a pot of decaff coffee, so I just lean over the railing and enjoy the stunning view in front of me.

"One pot of decaff coffee coming right up." He says as he joins me again, mirroring my stance and looking out at the sea. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Stunning."

For the next 10 minutes, we just stand there in silence, enjoying the warm weather. When I ask him about the time, he tells me that it's almost 10 a.m., and I'm actually surprised that I didn't sleep longer.

"What's the plan for today?" I ask once I have my cup of coffee is in my hand, and I move to relax on one of the balcony chairs.

"Today is just for relaxation." He says, motioning for me to stand up. I do, but not before raising my eyebrow at him, and he just takes my place then tells me to sit across his lap. "We have a private cabana at the waterpark; it has its own private pool. At 4, you have the massage and spa treatment, and then we have a romantic dinner by the beach."

"That sounds amazing." I say with a sigh as I rest my head on his shoulder. We sit like that for the next 15 minutes, silently drinking our coffee and enjoying the view, but then the sound of a doorbell ringing makes us just stare at each other with raised eyebrows before we break into a fit of laughter.

"Our bedroom has a doorbell!" I giggle, making Christian shake his head as he moves me from his lap and places me back on the chair.

"I'm used for suites to have doorbells, but this is the first time I've seen a room that's part of a suite with a doorbell." He says with a smile. "That's probably breakfast."

I only nod at him and watch him while he goes back to the room. I see him put on a pair of sweat pants before he goes to open the door. He doesn't allow whoever on the other side of the door inside, I'm guessing because I'm still only in my nightgown, and he pushes a trolley of food over to the balcony.

"I've ordered a traditional Arabic breakfast." He says as he starts removing the covers from over the dishes, and my mouth immediately waters at the sight. "I'm not sure what half of these things are, but the chef assured me that this would be the best choice for a complete Arabian experience."

"Looks delicious!" I say as I reach for the basket of freshly backed pita bread. From my research of the Middle East, I can identify every plate on the tray. There's labaneh, dried thyme with olive oil, hummus, freshly backed cheese manaqeesh, ful, and crème with honey. There's also a fresh pot of tea and from the smell, I can tell that it's infused with mint.

"You seem to know your way around." Christian says, and I can hear the amusement in his voice. "Want to give me a quick tutorial?"

"This is labaneh, or strained yoghurt if you will. That's hummus, which I'm sure you already know. That's dried thyme mixed with sesame seeds and sumac, or Za'atar if I'm not mistaken, and you eat that by dipping a piece of bread in olive oil then you dip it back in the thyme." I explain, pointing at each dish as I speak. "That's ful, which is basically fava beans cooked with chickpeas and tomatoes, garlic, lemon, and olive oil. And lastly, those are manaqeesh, which are breakfast pizzas for all intents and purposes, covered with halloumi cheese and mint or thyme."

"Impressive." Christian says as he reaches for the bread.

"I've done my research." I say with a small smile and shrug.

We enjoy breakfast over light conversation, and by the time we've finished eating, there's not much left on the tray, and both of us are full to the rim.

"Damn, that was good." Christian says as he relaxes back in his seat.

"I can't wait to try the rest of what their cuisine has to offer." I say as I sip on my tea, earning a nod from Christian.

"Why don't you go put on your bathing suit so that we can go down to the pool?" Christian asks after a few minutes of silence, making me jump off my chair and head straight to the room, with him laughing at my excitement.

Christian decides to take a shower while I get ready for the beach, and I take out my yellow string bikini to put on. I've only worn this twice, and I'm not sure I will be able to wear it ever again after the baby is here. I just hope Christian doesn't have a coronary when he sees me in it.

"What the fuck are you wearing, Ana?"

 _Yup. Coronary._

"A bikini." I say as I prepare my beach bag with my book, my sunscreen, my sunglasses, my phone, and my hair clip.

"That is _not_ a bikini! That thing is barely covering your body!" He yells as he steps out of the shower with only a towel around his waist.

 _Don't get distracted!_

"You said the cabana is private, meaning only you and I will be there." I say, mentally counting to 10 so that I don't go nuclear on him. "Besides, I'm pregnant. My body is changing. I don't think I'll ever be able to wear a bikini after I start showing."

"Baby…" Christian begins, his tone suddenly softer. "You're going to look amazing when you start showing, and you're going to look even more amazing after the baby is here. Yes, I understand that you're body is changing, but that's because it's accommodating the beautiful life you have growing inside you."

"I know that, but I will look disgusting if I wear a bikini with stretch marks all over my body!" I say, and I suddenly have tears in my eyes at the thought.

 _Damn it!_

"Don't cry!" Christian says as he pulls me in a tight hug. "We'll figure out what to do with your stretch marks once you're sure they won't go away. I read that many women lose their stretch marks after a few months of delivery."

"Read?" I ask, my tears magically stopping at hearing that, and I pull away to look at him with amused eyes. "You've been reading on pregnancy?"

"Yes." He says with a proud smile. "I have a few books downloaded on my tablet and a few hard copies at the office. I want to know everything about what you're going through. I might not be able to feel it, but it might help me understand."

"That's so sweet!" I say, rising up on my tiptoes to kiss him softly.

"Come on." He says as he takes a step back from me and starts getting dressed. "It's already approaching noon."

I put on my yellow cover up wrap dress, and white flip-flops with yellow strings, and wait for him to put on his blue swimming trunks and black flip-flops.

15 minutes later, Christian and I are riding in a small golf cart taking us from the hotel to the Water Park. Christian has given Ryan and Reynolds the time off, only requesting that they stay in the hotel in case we needed them. He also told them to enjoy their time and not to worry about any expenses.

Just before we go into our private cabana, Christian takes the driver to the side to talk to him away from me. I take the time to admire the view around me, and the distant sounds of children enjoying their water adventures.

"Let's go baby." Christian tells me as he takes my hand and walks me through the entrance surrounded by trees.

"What was that about?" I ask, referring to his private talk with the driver.

"I was asking about the time for the dolphin encounter." He says, and my face beams up with a smile. I can't believe I forgot about that one!

"And?"

"It's at 3, we'll enjoy it for an hour then we'll go back to the suite for your massage." He says, making me wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head on his chest.

"Thank you." I say, not knowing what else to do. "This has to be the best vacation of my life."

"I'm just glad you're enjoying your time." He says as he plants a soft kiss on the top of my head.

For the next 3 hours, we enjoy the privacy of our cabana. We spend our time swimming, tanning, and making out. Christian even takes a quick nap under the sunshade while I enjoy my book as I work on my non-existing tan.

At exactly 3 p.m., a buzzer goes off by Christian's bed, indicating that it's time for us to head out to the dolphin bay, and once I have my dress back on, we leave the cabana to find the same golf cart waiting for us at the door.

As soon as we reach the dolphin bay, we're lead to a locker room where we're handed two wet suits to put on. We find the instructor waiting for us at the door, where he leads us to the pool where I can see the dolphins enjoying the water.

"Oh my God!" I gasp, my eyes jumping from one dolphin to the other. "They're adorable."

For the following 15 minutes, the instructor gives us an orientation on what we should expect and what is expected of us, but I can barely concentrate on what he's saying because I just can't wait to get in the water. Once the orientation is over, he leads us to the shallow water where two dolphins are already waiting for us.

As soon as I get close to my dolphin, it starts rubbing its nose against my abdomen. I tentatively touch the top of its head as it begins to make buzzing sounds against my flat stomach. I notice Christian's dolphin suddenly show interest in me, and it leaves him to join my dolphin to rub its nose against my stomach.

"Excuse me for asking, Ma'am." The instructor says as he approaches me. "Are you pregnant?"

"I am." I say absentmindedly, my eyes fixed on the peaceful creature in front of me.

"It hasn't been conclusively proven yet, but some scientists suggest that dolphins can detect pregnancy." The instructor says, making both Christian and I look at him with amazed eyes.

"They're not dangerous to her or the baby, are they?" Christian asks, already getting closer to me and ready to pull me out of the water if anything happens.

"Not at all, sir." The instructor says with an encouraging smile. "On the contrary. Dolphins are very peaceful and are used to treat all kinds of depressions. However, if they sense danger, they can be unpredictable."

"We're not going to scare them." I say as the instructor moves the second dolphin to Christian.

For the next 30 minutes, we hug, kiss, and swim with the dolphins, and by the time our session is over, my face is hurting from smiling too much.

At one point, I couldn't really tell what I was enjoying more; the fact that I was actually swimming with a real dolphin or the sight of a carefree Christian who kept laughing. It's rare for me to see Christian in such a state, and I'm glad to see a photographer snapping away at his camera, taking multiple pictures of our time.

Somehow, I feel lighter as we make our way back to our suite, and I can't stop smiling.

"That was extraordinary." Christian says, as we make our way to our bedroom, not having said a word since we left the dolphin bay, but I knew he was happy because he couldn't stop smiling either.

"How can we get the pictures?" I ask as I start removing my clothes.

"They will give us a USB later today." Christian says as he takes a step towards me. "Thank you, Ana."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you!" I say as I wrap my arms around his head.

"I would have never considered doing this if you weren't part of my life." He says as he nuzzles his head against my neck. "You brought light into my life, Ana, and for that, I will forever be thankful."

Just as he leans in to kiss me, the doorbell rings, and I let out a loud groan of frustration.

"That's probably the masseuse." He says with a chuckle, handing me a robe and moving to open the door. On the other side stands a beautiful Indian woman, dragging yet another trolley behind her. Next to her is what I imagine is her assistant, who is carrying a message table with him.

"Would you like to have the message out on the balcony, Ma'am?" She asks, and I quickly nod at her, the idea of enjoying a relaxing massage out with that stunning view is too much to pass on.

"I'll be in the office." Christian says before he places a quick kiss on my forehead, and then he disappears behind the office door.

"What would you like to do today, Ma'am?" The masseuse asks as she prepared the table out on the balcony. I noticed that her assistant only put up the table then left straight away, giving me the chance to strip down for my message.

"What are you offering?" I ask as I remove my robe.

"I understand you want a maternity message." She says, and I nod at her. "Any special plans for dinner tonight?"

"We're having a romantic dinner by the beach." I say, making her give me a warm smile.

"Then how about a message, a facial, and a mani-pedi?"

"That sounds wonderful." I say with a sigh.

"I will have two girls come up in an hour to do your manicure and pedicure, and I will do your facial." She says as she pulls out her cell phone.

"That would be great, thank you." I say as I climb on the table and lie facing down.

I don't know if it's the calm weather, or the relaxations still lingering from the dolphin encounter, or the sun by the pool, but the second her fingers touch my bare back, I'm out cold, with a smile on my face.

* * *

When the masseuse and spa ladies leave the room, the time is approaching 6 p.m., and I'm as relaxed as I can ever be. I notice a dress laid out on the bed, with a pair of gold sandals on the floor. On a closer look, I realize there's a note by the dress, right under a blue jewelry box.

I reach for the note first, already knowing that it's from Christian.

" _Sweetest Ana,_

 _Please put on this dress for tonight's dinner, as well as the sandals and the jewelry. Once you are ready, Ryan will be waiting for you out in the lounge, and he'll bring you to me._

 _Love,_

 _Christian"_

I can't help but smile at his sweet note, but the smile slowly disappears when I open the jewelry box. Inside is a diamond necklace and earring set, both heart-shaped. It's stunning, and it makes me feel bad over the gift I got him.

I only got him a watch and had it engraved on the back!

 _Freaking billionaire boyfriends who have everything!_

I resign to my fate, deciding not to dwell too much over the fact that my gift is going to seem ridiculous next to his. So, I quickly take a shower before I fix my hair and makeup, then get dressed with the clothes that Christian has left out for me.

I find Ryan waiting for me, and he just smiles warmly at me before he leads me to the elevator. On the ride down, I wonder if he has a girlfriend back home that he doesn't mind leaving behind on Valentine's day.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Ryan?" I ask, making him look at me with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Um… no, I don't." He says, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"Ok, because I would hate to think that you had to leave her behind to come with us." I say, instantly relieved.

"I do have a boyfriend, though." He says, and my heart plummets.

"Oh, I'm really sorry you couldn't spend Valentine's Day with him." I say, genuinely concerned about how his boyfriend would feel.

"You don't know?" Ryan asks, and I look at him with confused eyes, making him smile at me again. "My boyfriend is by the beach with your boyfriend."

It takes me a second to understand what he means, and when I do, I gasp at him and cover my hand with my mouth.

"No!" I gasp again. "You and Reynolds?"

"Yeah, we've been together for a little over a year." Ryan says with a warm smile.

"How do I not know about this?"

"I thought everyone knew." He says with a shrug.

"That's so sweet! You get to spend all your time together." I say as the elevator reaches the lobby, and once again, we use a golf cart to take us to where Christian and Reynolds are. "Will you be able to celebrate tonight?"

"We don't mind waiting until we get back home, Ms. Steele." He says, and by the tone of his voice, I take the hint that I should drop it.

It takes us five minutes to reach the edge of the beach, and my breath catches in my throat once again. Right there on the edge of the water is a small squared tent that is opened from all sides, with a table for two in the middle over a Persian rug. The tent is lit up by lanterns from all sides, and the purple-orange hue caused by the sun setting is adding to the beauty of the atmosphere.

"Enjoy your dinner, Ms. Steele." Ryan says as he goes to stand next to Reynolds a few feet away from where our table is.

"You look beautiful, Ana." Christian says from behind me, making me gasp in surprise.

"You scared me." I say and turn to look at him, and my mouth goes dry at the way he looks. He's wearing a grey suit with a light blue shirt underneath, no tie, leaving the top few buttons open, exposing the small amount of hair on his chest.

"Shall we?" He says, taking my hand and leading me to our table. Once we're seated, a waiter appears out of nowhere with a bottle of sparkling apple cider.

"Do you like your gift?" Christian asks after the waiter leaves us alone, making me blush.

"I love it, but it's too much." I say and take a deep breath.

"Nothing is too much for you, baby. I would give you the world if I could." He says as he reaches to hold my hand, but I pull it away from him and reach for his gift from my purse.

"Happy Valentine's Day, baby." I say, trying my hardest not let my insecurity show in my voice.

"You didn't have to get me anything." Christian says, but his beaming smile shows that he's excited about it.

 _Please don't be disappointed. Please don't be disappointed. Please don't be disappointed._

"What is it?" He asks as he shakes the box like a kid.

"Open it." I say, and he does just that. The look on his face could light up the entire beach he's so happy, and I feel my body relax.

"This is beautiful." He says as he pulls the watch out of the box. He starts removing the one he's already wearing, but then he looks at its back and notices the engraving on it. " _There is no remedy for love, but to love more._ "

"Do you like it?"

"I love it." He says before he puts it on, shoving the one he was wearing into his pocket.

I notice that there are other tents on the large beach, each one separated by about 200 feet.

"I went ahead and chose the menu for our dinner." Christian says as the waiter approaches again. "I hope you don't mind."

"I'm sure what you chose is excellent." I say as the waiter places our first course in front of us.

"Good evening, sir, ma'am." The waiter says as he refills our glasses of cider. "Your first course for this evening is cooked scallop ceviche with lime and lemon crumb, coriander, parsley and dill salad, chive dressing and lemon oil. In addition, you have Prosciutto Salad with a duo of roasted and pickled baby vegetables, sliced Prosciutto, caramelized red onions, salad greens, brioche crackers, with balsamic and honey glaze. Enjoy your evening."

"I asked them to cook the scallops and prosciutto." Christian says as he serves me a portion of the ceviche and the salad. "I know you're not supposed to eat raw meat and fish."

"Thank you." I say with a warm smile before I take a small bite of my food. It's so good it makes me moan, making Christian look at me with narrow eyes.

"Don't do that." He says after he swallows a bite.

"Sorry." I say, and I can feel the blush decorating my face. "Did you know that Ryan and Reynolds are together?"

"Yes." Christian says and looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't know that?"

"I just found out!" I say with a smile. "Is that why you asked them to join us on this trip?"

"Not particularly, but it didn't hurt to have them with us and have the chance to spend Valentine's together as well." He says, and then his face darkens for a second. "They can't really be themselves here, though. The law here is strictly against gays and they might be in danger if anyone finds out about them."

"This would be a perfect place for Kate to live, then." I say with a sad sigh, knowing that bigotry and hate in Middle Eastern country can be life threatening to those different. "He did say that they don't mind waiting to celebrate until we go back home. I just hope they got to spend some quality time while we were at the Water Park."

"Ana, that is not an image I want in my head about my security people." Christian says with a groan, making me giggle at him.

"But you're ok with the image of Taylor and Mrs. Jones?"

"Damn it, Ana!" He says, making me laugh openly. "I don't want to think about them like that!"

"Ok, ok!" I gasp through my laughter. "I'm sorry, but you should've seen the look on your face! It was hilarious!"

"Eat." He tells me, silently asking me to drop the subject, so I just pick up my fork and go back to eating.

A few minutes later, the waiter appears again, and I'm seriously beginning to think that he's got some ninja skills for moving around so silently.

"How was your first course?" He asks as he places our main course in front of us then removes the empty plates.

"Excellent." I say, giving him a warm smile, making Christian narrow his eyes at me again.

"Your main course this evening is a seafood bouillabaisse stew with fresh tomatoes, fennel and saffron, finished with small clams and a piece of local fish, a slice of toasted sourdough bread with a homemade rouli. Also you have a buttered leek risotto with garden peas and spinach, finished with salsa Verde, and topped with citrus crumps and drizzled with lemon oil."

"Thank you." Christian says, his voice cold and curt, making me roll my eyes at him.

"I was just being polite, and he was being professional." I say before he has the chance to say anything about me smiling at the waiter, making him close his eyes and take a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." He says, earning a raised eyebrow from me. "What? You don't want me to apologize?"

"I never thought you would do so quickly." I say with a smile, making him shrug and take a bite of his food. This time, he's the one who gives an appreciative moan at how good the food is.

We continue eating as I tell him about the latest manuscript I received, and he listens closely to every words I have to say. Once we finish our food, the waiter approaches us with our dessert of strawberries and cream plate. It's a house made strawberry jelly set with mixed berries and edible flowers, vanilla bean panna cotta, white chocolate shards, fresh vanilla whipped cream and fresh lime sugar covered strawberries.

"This should be illegal." I say after taking the first bite.

"I will ask them for the recipe to give it to Mrs. Jones." He says, his eyes darkening with desire. Suddenly, we hear a squeal coming from one of the tents further away from us, and when we look at them, we find the guy down on one knee, obviously proposing to his girlfriend.

"Awe, that's so sweet." I say, and for a split second, I feel jealous of them.

 _I want that!_

"Yeah, but also very cliché." Christian says, and I can't identify the look on his face. Suddenly, I'm worried that he's changed his mind about us getting married, but when he holds my hand over the table, I relax a little bit.

"That will be us one day." He says as he rubs my hand with his thumb, and I can literally feel the worry leave my body.

"Soon?" I ask, not so subtly hinting that I'm ready for that step.

"Soon." Christian confirms with a beaming smile, making me smile back at him. "Want to take a walk on the beach?"

"I'd rather we go back to our room." I say as I bite on my lower lip, and I notice his eyes darken with desire. It takes us less than 10 minutes to make it back to the suite, and I vaguely notice Ryan and Reynolds staying back at the lobby as we make our way to our private elevator. As soon as we make our way to the hallway, Christian attacks me against the wall, and I'm helpless against his expert moves.

"The guys?" I manage to ask once his lips leave mine and attack my neck.

"Told them to stay back." Christian says between kisses. "I want to take you over every surface in this suite."

"Yes." I moan as he reaches behind my back and start to pull down my zipper. Suddenly, he pushes me up against the wall, making me wrap my legs around his waist, and hunching my dress up to gather around my own waste.

"I'll get you naked later." He says as he rips off my panties, earning a squeal from me.

Somehow, he manages to undo his pants, and before I can even say anything else, he pushes through me, making me moan loudly at his pleasurable intrusion.

I throw my head back against the wall as he fucks me against the wall, and it doesn't take me long to feel myself approaching my climax.

"Give it to me, baby." He says as he pulls down the front of my dress, exposing my chest, and he gently bits on my nipple through the fabric of my bra.

"Christian!" I scream out as I feel my entire body convulse in pleasure. Once he's sure that I'm over the aftershocks of my climax, he pulls out and moves me to face the wall.

"Hands on the wall, ass out." He says in that commanding voice that does magical things to me, and I immediately obey. He then gathers my hair in his hands just as he pushes into me again, making me moan out again. He thrusts into me in a punishing pace, and as sensitive as I am from my previous orgasm, it only takes me a few minutes to feel myself tethering over the edge again.

"You like it when I fuck you like this, don't you?" He asks, making my walls flutter around him.

"Yes!" I scream, earning a spank against my ass.

"Cum for me again." He commands, and as if his voice has a direct line to my pussy, it obeys, just like the rest of my body does. This time, my orgasm triggers his, and I feel him tense against my back before he calls out my name.

"Wow." I gasp as he pulls out of me, and I feel the evidence of his climax trickle down my thighs.

"I love you so damn much, Ana." He says as he pulls me against his chest, making me lean into him with a sigh.

"I love you more, baby." I say with a smile on my face.

By the time we make it back to the bedroom, we barely have enough energy for a quick shower after having tried out every surface in the suite, with the exception of Ryan and Reynolds' room. We leave the shower in a record time, and by the time our heads hit the pillows, we're both out with smiles on our faces.

* * *

 **Tuesday, Feb. 17** **th** **, 2015**

I can't help but feel a little bit sad as we walk back into our apartment in Seattle. The past 3 days have been amazing, and to say that it was certainly one of the best times of my life would be an understatement.

"We'll come back, I promise." Christian says as he places a quick kiss to my lips.

"Thank you." I say with a small smile as I start to unpack, I can't help but let my mind go over the details of the trip as Christian starts to undress, getting ready to take a shower.

On Sunday, we explored the aquarium, which was an experience on its own. It was magical, and even though I'm not a huge fan of keeping wild life in closed spaces, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of it. After the aquarium, we relaxed in our cabana for a few hours before we went to the town to explore. We went to The Dubai mall, where Christian was a great sport as I indulged in a shopping spree that Christian insisted to pay for.

 _As if I could afford half of the things I bought._

We also watched the Dubai dancing fountain from one of the restaurants overlooking it, and then we watched the sunset from the top of Burj Khalifa as Christian surprised me with tickets for their On the Top experience.

On Monday, we took the hour-long helicopter tour, which was breathtaking. To look at Dubai from the sky was amazing, and we even flew close to Burj Khalifa. Moreover, and as if the dolphin encounter wasn't enough, Christian shocked me later on Monday with a Penguin Experience at the Mall of the Emirates, where they have an artificial ski slope.

"We'll bring our baby here to enjoy the dolphins and penguins." Christian says, bringing me out of my internal thoughts.

"Once they know what's going on, sure." I say with a smile, imagining us as a family here.

"Aren't you going to call Jose?" Christian asks, making me gasp in horror!

 _I never called him!_

"What kind of person am I?" I gasp again as I quickly reach for my phone, making Christian chuckle at me.

"I'm sure Jose didn't have time to even check his phone." Christian says with a smile, making me look at him with questioning eyes.

"What do you know?"

"Nothing, I swear!" He says, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm just assuming that things went well for them, otherwise, I know he wouldn't give a damn about any threats I might have given him about staying away."

"You threatened him?" I ask, my eyes growing wide.

"Do you even know your best friend?" He asks with a raised eyebrow, and I giggle as I shrug at him, quickly dialing Jose's number, making Christian disappear into the bathroom after giving me a quick kiss.

"I'm so so so so so sorry!" I say as soon as Jose picks up after a couple of rings. "I can't believe I didn't call you!"

"Well, knowing what your hunk had planned for you, you're totally forgiven." Jose says with a laugh. "I wouldn't be so forgiving though if I weren't an engaged man!"

"OH MY GOD!" I squeal as I bounce on the bed. "I want details!"

"Well, a congratulations would be nice, bitch!"

"Fuck you, and congratulations, asshole." I say with a giggle. "Now details!"

"Oh Annie, it was amazing." Jose gushes with a sigh. "Ethan could tell that something was up because I was so nervous. I tried to tell him that I was nervous about Elliot's ass flying us around Seattle, but he wouldn't buy it."

"Of course he wouldn't, he knows you!"

"Stop interrupting." Jose says with a laugh. "Anyway, Elliot met us at the top of Escala, and he was so hilarious pretending that he was a professional pilot. That man doesn't know how to keep a secret to save his life, but damn, he kept a straight face the entire time."

"Good to know."

"Ana, no interruptions!" He says with a sigh, and I can imagine him rolling his eyes at me. "Anyway, we flew around Seattle for 15 minutes, and then we approached the beach. Ethan noticed the sign quickly, and the son-of-a-bitch was silent for a good 5 minutes after seeing it. I'm telling you Annie, I was sweating bullets, but then he just turned to me, and kissed me as if his life depended on it."

"Aww!" I gush at him, feeling my eyes tearing up.

"He was a blabbering mess, both of us were. I even dropped the ring 3 times, 3 fucking time, before I could put it on his finger!"

"Oh my God, Jose!" I giggle through my tears.

"By the time we made it back to Escala, we could barely keep our hands away from each other. Elliot says that I owe him big time for having witnessed that!" Jose says with a laugh. "And oh my God, Mia outdid herself with the dinner, although, we did end up having to reheat it."

"TMI, Jose!"

"You asked for details!" He laughs, making me laugh in turn. "She had the whole dining room filled with candles and flowers. By the way, you might want to have Mrs. Jones sanitize your whole dining room floors."

"JOSE!" I squeal, not able to control my laugh.

"What? Would you rather I didn't tell you that and leave you and Christian do the nasty over the same spot Ethan and I did?"

"TMI!" I squeal again, my face now streaked with the uncontrollable tears from laughing. "Anyway, did you know that Christian left the official papers for Kavanaugh Media at the dining table for Ethan?"

"What?" I say, my laughter now gone and my voice laced with surprise. "No, I didn't. I thought he was giving him the paper when we came back."

"Well, he left him the papers, and Ethan couldn't believe his eyes he was speechless for a good 15 minutes." Jose says with a sigh.

"Is that a good sigh or a bad sigh?" I ask, already freaking out.

 _Did he not like it?_

"Definitely good sigh, Annie." Jose says, and I hear him take a deep breath. "I've never seen Ethan so emotional, including the proposal a few hours before that. You can tell Christian to expect a huge gesture from Ethan as a thank you."

"No thanks needed, I'm sure." I say, speaking on behalf of Christian.

"He's planning to keep it, in case you're wondering." Jose says, making me give out a small sigh of relief. I was hoping he would, but wasn't sure that he'd do that.

"Good." I say with a smile.

"Now _I_ need details, bitch." Jose says with a small laugh. "Oh, and by the way, I hate you."

"Why?"

"Why? You dare ask me why?" He asks with shock. "One word. Dubai!"

"Oh my God, you can't even imagine how it was, Jose!" I say before I give him a detailed account of our trip, of course leaving out the details of how we could barely keep our hands off each other.

I notice Christian get out of the shower in the middle of my phone call to Jose, and he just smiles at me before he tells me that he's going to his office, leaving me to finish my call.

Jose gives me a few choice words as I tell him about the shopping and the helicopter ride, and he squeals like a girl when I tell him about the dolphin and penguin experiences.

I finally hang up after a 40 minute-long phone call, and I can't stop smiling at how happy I'm feeling right now.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my life to be this perfect, and I can't wait to bring my baby into this life full of love and family.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20**

 **Ana POV**

 **Sunday, March 1** **st** **, 2015**

Christian has been acting weird for the last few days, and to say that it's making me nervous would be an understatement. I don't know what is going through his mind, and whenever I ask him, he just gives me mono-syllable answers.

I can't help but wonder if he's having second thoughts about the baby. We had a checkup a couple of days ago, where we had Elliot and Jose join us so that Dr. Greene would tell them about the gender. Grace and Carrick are hosting us a gender reveal party today, and it's been killing me that Jose and Elliot know what I'm carrying when Christian and I don't.

It was Mia's idea to have a gender reveal party, and once Christian heard about it, he was all for it. He was more excited about it than Mia was, if that was even possible, but the minute Jose and Elliot left us to plan for the party, his entire mood changed, and he's been acting off since.

I'm worried things are becoming too serious for him. I've taken Jose's advice about dropping hints in regards to getting married, but I have a feeling he's ignoring me, because even after the wonderful time we had in Dubai for Valentine's day, he never mentioned us getting married. He used to bring it up whenever he had the chance, but for the past two weeks, nothing.

Today's party is rather a casual affair, so I put on a cotton long sleeve loose navy blue dress, and I pair it with silver ankle boots. As usual, I let my hair down in waves over my shoulder, just the way Christian likes it.

I let out a sigh as I think of Christian. Should we really be doing this if he's changed his mind about the baby?

I shake my head in an attempt to rid away the negative thoughts. I've come a long way in my confidence when it comes to Christian, and I really shouldn't let my mind get the better of me. He might just be having a difficult time with a deal at work.

"You look beautiful." Christian says, making me gasp in surprise. I was so deep in my head that I didn't hear him walk in.

"Thank you." I say, letting my eyes linger over him for a bit. He's wearing a pair of dark grey jeans, with a white dress and a black blazer over it. As always, he looks good enough to eat, but we're already running late.

"We should head out." He says, making me reach for my grey clutch.

"I'm ready."

Once we make it down to the garage, Christian opens the door for me, then stays back to talk to Taylor about something he obviously doesn't want me to hear. A minute later, he gets in the car and lets out a deep breath.

"Are you ok?" I ask for what seems like the millionth time in the past few days, and he just holds my hand and gives me a small smile.

I can't bring myself to press for an explanation about his behavior, so I just let it drop for now. Today, I just want to find out what I'm having and enjoy the good time while it lasts.

It doesn't take us long to reach Bellevue, and I'm confused as we drive by the Greys' house and head further down the road.

"Where are we going?" I ask, and for the first time in days, Christian gives me a genuine smile.

"Trust me?"

"With my life." I answer, not missing a beat.

"I have a surprise for you." He says, and I just stare out the window to see where we are heading. A few minutes later, the car stops in front of a large steel gate, and I see Taylor punch in a code, making the gate open up to let us in.

I notice Taylor slow down, obviously to let me take in the beautiful surrounding, as he drives up a small driveway with large trees on either side. The car then comes to a stop in front of a stunning mansion, and I feel my breath catch in my throat.

"Whose house is this?" I ask, but Christian just smiles at me as he gets out of the car. I don't wait for Taylor to open the door for me, and I just get out, only to freeze in my spot as I just stare open-mouthed at the house in front of me.

The front of the house has a small roundabout in the middle, already planted with a tree and flowers. It has 4 garage doors to obviously house 4 cars, and it's built to give the illusion of it being two houses rather than one.

"Don't you want to come in?" I hear Christian ask.

"Whose house is this, Christian?" I ask, but somehow, I already know the answer to that question.

"It's ours." Christian says with a shrug and a shy smile.

"Oh my God!" I gasp and jump into his open arms, making him spin me around. "When did you do this?"

"I found this a couple of weeks ago, and I just couldn't pass out the opportunity." He says before he places a quick kiss on my lips. "The house is fully ready and furnished, but you can change anything you don't like."

"If it's half as stunning as the exterior, I'm going to love it!" I say, now bouncing on my feet waiting to go inside, the whole gender reveal party completely forgotten for now.

For the next hour, Christian shows me around the mansion, and for the life of me, I can't find anything I don't like about it. It has 5 bedrooms, 6 full bathrooms, 2 partial bathrooms, a media/game room, and a stunning kitchen. Nevertheless, the one thing that has caught my heart was the back of the house overlooking the sound. I can already see myself sitting out here and playing with our baby.

"When can we move in?"

"Whenever you want." Christian says as he walks to wrap his arms around me from behind, making me lean back into him. "You like it?"

"I love it." I say as I turn around to face him. "It's stunning."

"Do you want to change anything?"

"I wouldn't dream of it." I sigh, looking over the back of the house.

 _I really can't wait to move here._

"Should we go to my parents' now?" He asks, and for a second, I'm tempted to stay back for a little longer.

"Do we have to?" I ask, making Christian give out a booming laugh.

"Yes, we do." He says as he kisses the tip of my nose. "I really can't wait to find out what we're having."

"Jose is really getting better at keeping secrets!" I joke as we walk back to the car.

"Yes, he is." Christian huffs, which tells me that he too has tried to bribe the information out of Jose.

For the past two days, I've tried to bribe Jose with food, wine, wedding gifts, favors, but he just wouldn't budge. I have a feeling that both Elliot and Ethan threatened him, that's why he's not letting the secret out.

10 minutes after we get back to the car, we drive up to the Greys' house, and I'm back to feeling excited. I ignore the fact that Christian is suddenly acting cold again, and I decide that it's because he's also nervous to find out what we're having.

I refuse to let my negative thoughts ruin the moment for me.

As soon as we walk inside the house, we're greeted with hugs and kisses from our closest friends and family. I'm really happy to see everyone here. The entire Grey family is here, Jose, Ethan, Hanna, my Dad, Sandra, Flynn and his wife Rihann, and even my boss, Jack, who has become more like an uncle after Christian bought out SIP, now Grey Publishing.

"Ok, what are we having?" Christian asks as soon as we've greeted everyone, making the room burst in laughter.

I was hoping that the decorations would give away the secret, but the whole room is filled with pink _and_ blue balloons and decorations. There's a banner hanging across the ceiling with cardboard shaped onesies in pink and blue and questions marks on them.

"Not so fast, dear brother." Elliot says as he nods at Mia, who walks up to him with a bowl in her hands. "First of all, we're going to play a game."

Mia starts moving around the room, offering the bowl for all the guests, and I notice them taking out pink and blue clothe pins to attach to their clothes.

"Take your guess on what Christian and Ana are having." Elliot announces, and once Mia reaches us, I take out a blue pin while Christian takes a pink one.

"You want a girl?" I ask, genuinely surprised.

"I don't care, as long as the baby is healthy." He says, making me smile at him.

"Those who guess correctly will be excused from the baby shower duties. Those who guess wrongly, well, you will be responsible for throwing the most epic baby shower Seattle every heard of." Mia says, and that's when I notice that neither her, Elliot, Jose, nor Ethan have taken out pins, and I narrow my eyes at them.

"You know!" I say, pointing an accusatory finger at them.

"Sweetie, it's a miracle we're the only ones who know." Ethan says as he wraps his arm around Jose's shoulder. "You two chose the two people in the world who barely know how to keep a secret!"

"Which means, they're going to help planning the shower party." Sandra announces, and somehow, I know she's not going to accept being left out even if she makes the wrong guess.

"Elliot, if you and Jose don't reveal the news in the next few minutes, I'm going to kick your ass." Christian says, and I'm surprised to see that he's not joking. However, when I look around the room, I notice everyone nodding, obviously waiting to find out as well.

"Ok, ok!" Jose now says. "Let's go outside, shall we?"

We all move out to the back yard to find a huge cake and a large box on the table next to it. I had no idea what Jose and Elliot had planned for today, but I can safely assume they couldn't settle on one idea, so they went with two.

"Ana, you're going to cut the cake to reveal the filling, and Christian, you're going to open the box to reveal the balloons." Elliot says as he hands me a knife. Christian looks at me with an exited grin, and then he takes my hand and leads me to the table.

"Together?" He asks, making me nod at him.

I'm too excited to find words right now.

I cut a slice from the cake, and before I pull it out, I look at Christian, who now has his hands on the box. In almost a whisper, we count to three, and then I pull out the knife just as Christian opens the box, revealing a blue filling and releasing blue balloons into the sky.

"A boy!" We both gasp at the same time.

"We're having a boy!" I say, dropping the cake to the table and jumping to hug Christian. "We're having a baby boy!"

"We're having a boy." Christian says before he crashes his lips to mine in a kiss that borders on indecent in front of all our family and friends.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not that cool of a dad to see you and my daughter sucking face?" I hear my dad yell at us, making us break away as everyone bursts out laughing at our red faces.

Our loved ones then surround us, hugging and congratulating us for the news, but I'm too overwhelmed to find words.

 _We're having a baby boy. A baby boy who I can only hope is a spitting image of Christian._

10 minutes later, we're back inside the house, eating cake and while everyone enjoys their wine, I enjoy a glass of apple juice.

Once the initial excitement wears off, I look at Christian from across the room where he's talking to Elliot, and I notice that his stance is that of a nervous man. The realization makes my heart sink, simply because I thought that once the gender of our baby is revealed, he'll relax.

Apparently, I was wrong.

"Are you ok?" I hear Mia ask.

"I don't know." I say, never taking my eyes away from Christian. "Something's wrong with Christian."

"I'm sure it's just work." She says as she rubs my arm, but somehow, I think she's just trying to placate me.

"He's been like this for a few days." I say, finally looking at Mia, who has a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Is he breaking up with me?"

"What?" She shrieks, making everyone look at us.

"Keep your voice down!" I whisper-yell at her. "He's been distant and acting weird lately. He's never let his work affect us, and I can't help but wonder."

"Christian loves you more than life itself, Ana." Mia says, making me sigh just as my dad approaches us.

"A baby boy." He says as he stands beside me with a proud smile. "I still can't believe you're making me a grandfather, Annie."

"Excuse me." Mia says as she walks straight to Christian, and I know she's going to tell him about my worries.

 _I'm going to kill her._

"Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself." I say, my eyes fixed on Christian again. I see Mia whisper in his ear, and his head snaps towards me with wide eyes.

"Is everything ok between you two?" Dad asks, having noticed the scene in front of him.

"I don't know." I sigh, making my dad just smile at me.

"Do I have to clean out my shotgun?" He asks, making me giggle, even though I'm not really amused. "That boy worships you, Annie. Don't let your head go wild."

I see Christian quickly walk towards me, making my dad walk away silently, and I brace myself for whatever he has to tell me.

"Are you fucking crazy?" He snaps at me. "After everything we've been through, you're still not sure about us?"

"What am I supposed to think?" I snap right back at him, not missing the fact that everyone is now looking at us. "You've been distant and cold towards me for the past few days!"

"Come with me." He says as he takes my glass from my hand and places it on the table in front of us.

"What?" I ask, confused by his sudden change in tone.

"I'm going to show you why I've been distant." He says as he takes my hand in his and rubs his thumb over it. "I'm sorry if I seemed cold. I guess that's how it seems when I'm nervous."

"What are you nervous about?" I ask, making him take a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.

"Come with me?" He asks, and I just nod at him, making him pull me towards the stairs. I notice everyone following us, but as soon as Christian shoots them a glare, they stop at the end of the stairs and watch us as we go up to the second floor where the bedrooms are.

He walks me to his old bedroom, and then he stops in front of the closed door.

"You're scaring me, Christian." I say, not able to imagine what could be behind the door that has him so nervous.

"My parents decided to change my old bedroom into a nursery for the baby." He says and takes yet another deep breath. "Jose and Mia have been working nonstop to get it ready for today. I just had two things that I wanted to get here before I showed it to you."

"Open the door, Christian." I say, my voice betraying me.

 _What is going on?_

With slow and shaking hands, Christian opens the door to reveal a jungle themed nursery. I notice that he points me away from the wall at the far left of the room, and I gasp at how beautiful everything is. There is a big brown crib at the far right wall, with a nursing chair next to it. The wall is painted with a giraffe and a tree with its branch going over the front wall, cutting over the window, then continuing to have a monkey sitting on the other end of it. The curtains are blue, with two blue boxes on the floor in front of it; the only indication of our baby's gender.

"It's beautiful, Christian." I say, my voice catching in my throat. "But I don't understand why you're so nervous about this?"

He doesn't answer me with words. He just turns me to face the far left wall where there's a small drawers chest and a changing table, but I let out a very loud gasp at the two frames hanging on the wall.

One of the frames holds our latest sonogram picture, blown up, and below it, in fine print, is the one question I've been waiting for.

 _Mommy, will you marry my daddy?_

I have to fight back my tears to look at the second frame, which has a cute white onesie, and printed on it is _Officially a Grey!_

"Christian!" I gasp through my tears and turn to look at him, only to find him down on one knee, holding an opened box with the most stunning ring I've ever seen inside.

"Ana, I told you this when I first met you, and I'm going to say it again. You're the breath of fresh air to my once stale life. You've shown me that love exists, that I'm capable of loving someone other than my family. You've given meaning to my life." He says, and I let out a sob as the words catch in his throat. "You've given me the most precious gift any man could ever dream of having. You've given me a family, and now I'm asking you to officially make our family whole. To make my life whole. Will you marry me?"

"Yes." I sob out. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

Hearing that, Christian jumps to his feet, pulling my hand towards him before he pulls out the ring and places it on my still shaking hand.

"Thank you!" He whispers before he smashes his lips against mine. His lips move expertly over mine, and I moan into his mouth as he pulls me closer to his strong body.

"I love you." I say once we break away, the need to breathe forcing us apart.

"I love you, more than you can ever imagine." He says as he plays with the ring on my finger. "I can't believe you though I was breaking up with you."

"And I can't believe you were nervous about my answer!" I say, smacking him over the chest. "Are you fucking crazy?"

He just snickers at me before he kisses me again, this time with more passion than he ever shown me before, if that is even possible.

"We're waiting down here!" We hear Elliot yell at us from the floor below, making us break out in a loud laugh.

"They knew?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Jose and Elliot aren't the only ones who can't keep a secret." He admits with a shy shrug, making me giggle at him.

"Let's go get them out of their misery." I say as I grab his hand and lead him out of the nursery and down the stairs to our waiting family and friends.

"She said yes!" Christian announces, making everyone break out in loud cheers, and for the second time today, we're pulled in hugs and given congratulations over the wonderful news.

"Welcome to the family, sweet girl." Grace says as she pulls me in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Grace." I say as I wipe away at my tears that don't seem to stop.

"Let me see the ring!" Sandra says as she pulls me to her, holding my hand out and letting out a loud gasp.

Christian has given me a Trinity Ruban ring, and I only know this because it was the first thing that Mia said when she saw the ring. It's a bejeweled ribbon of platinum paved with diamonds that coils around a central solitaire diamond.

"You did well, handsome." Jose says as he takes his turn in inspecting my ring. He then drops my hand and gasps loudly, making me look at him with confused eyes. "Oh my God! Do you know what this means?"

"That I'm engaged?" I ask, and I receive a wide smile from Christian when I say that.

"We can plan our weddings together!" Jose shrieks, and I actually see tears in his eyes. "Oh my God! I've always dreamt about us doing this together!"

"Oh, Jose." I say as I wrap my arms around him, and to everyone's shock, he breaks down in open sobs. Suddenly, he pulls away from my hug and moves to hug Christian, and for a second, I freeze, worrying about Christian's reaction, but I get tears in my own eyes when I see Christian hug him back without even flinching.

Until today, Christian has only allowed me and his immediate family to hug him, and I can't even find the words to explain how proud I feel of him for having come this far.

"Oh my sweet girl." Grace says from beside me, wiping away her own tears. "Thank you."

"Thank you." I hear Jose tell Christian. "Thank you for making this happen."

"You're an amazing person, Jose, and you deserve to have all your dreams come true." Christian says as he pats Jose on the back, before handing him over to Ethan. My dad moves to Christian next, and he offers him his hand, but Christian just pulls my dad in a quick man-hug, promising him to take care of the baby and me.

For the next hour, we have a small impromptu celebration for our engagement, and I find myself inspecting the ring every now and then. Christian hasn't left my side for one second, and he even apologized for behaving the way he did more than once. He only stopped when I told him to just stop it, because he's ruining my joy over the engagement.

 _As if anything could ruin my joy, but he doesn't need to know that._

"Oh my God! I can't believe I didn't ask about this!" Mia shrieks from across the room, making everyone look at her. "What did you think of the house?"

"You really can't keep a secret, can you?" I ask Christian, making him just shrug at me.

"Well?" Grace asks, waiting for my answer.

"What house?" Dad asks.

"It's not a house, it's a freaking mansion!" I say, then I start ranting about the house and how beautiful it is. I only stop talking when I notice Christian looking at me with loving eyes and a proud smile on his face.

"We should get married there." He says, and my face breaks into a beaming smile.

"Yes!" I say, already picturing having our wedding in the backyard. Surprisingly, I immediately imagine myself in a maternity wedding gown, walking down the aisle with a baby bump.

"Do you want to get married before or after the baby is born?" Carrick now asks.

"Before." Both Christian and I answer at the same time.

"What?" Mia shrieks again. "That's not enough time to plan a wedding!"

"It is, for what I have in mind." I say, making everyone look at me with questioning eyes. "I want something small and intimate, just our closest family and friends." I say and look at Christian. "Is that ok with you?"

"Whatever you want, sweetheart." Christian says as he places a kiss at the top of my head.

"Anastasia! You fiancé is one of Seattle's most important people. He's the biggest CEO on the west coast; this has to be a VIP event!" Mia says, making my heart drop to my knees.

 _She's right! How selfish of me!_

"Ana wants a small wedding; she'll have a small wedding." Christian says, shooting his sister a dirty look. "Besides, I don't want our wedding to be a business meeting, and that's what it'll be if we invite everyone I know."

"Christian…" I start, but he cuts me off with a quick kiss to my lips.

"I want a small wedding too." He says, and the sincerity in his eyes makes me smile. "I would've given you a huge wedding if that's what you wanted, but I'm actually glad you want a small one."

"Good."

"Fine." Mia huffs, obviously disappointed that she won't be planning the wedding of the year, and even though I'm glad I will have her help in planning my wedding, I also know that I won't let her control everything.

God knows I'll end up with a pink, glittery theme if I do that.

"Do you have a date in mind?" I hear Sandra ask, and I immediately know that I won't be alone in this craziness of wedding-planning.

"July?" I ask, just as Christian says "May."

"How about June?" Grace asks, giving us a middle-ground option. "The weather would be amazing for an outdoor wedding."

"June would be good." Christian says as he pulls out his phone, and I notice him opening up his calendar. "First weekend? The 6th is a Saturday."

"That's a nice date. June 6th." I say with a smile.

"I guess we have a date then!" Christian says with his own beaming smile, making everyone smile at us.

"We need to talk colors, party, and dress." Jose says, not taking his eyes off his phone, making everyone laugh.

"Can this wait?" I ask with a laugh, earning an evil look from both him and Mia.

"I guess that's our queue for us men to head to the office." Carrick says as he stands up, making my dad and Elliot jump to their feet.

"And that's my queue to head home. I have an early meeting tomorrow with my boss, and he can be a hardass." Jack says with a smile as he stands up, earning a small laugh from the room, and then he moves to pull me into a strong hug. "Congratulations girl. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

"Thank you, Jack." I say with a smile.

John and his wife, as well as Hanna, leave as well, leaving the closest family members to discuss the wedding. The men, with the exception of Jose, retire to Carrick's office, and I'm suddenly bombarded with questions from Jose and Mia about what I have in mind for the wedding.

"Guys, guys, GUYS!" Sandra yells when she notices that all their questions are overwhelming me, making them shut up. "One question at a time!"

"Thank you!" I tell her, earning a soft smile from her.

"Well, I was thinking purple and grey for the colors." I say, making Jose and Mia both beam at me.

 _Good to know they approve!_

For the next hour, we discuss the details of what I have in mind, and by the time we're done talking, I've decided on the color themes, a rough idea of what flowers I want, and the suits for Christian, Jose, and the groomsmen.

Suddenly, Christian walks into the room with a murderous look on his face, and I'm immediately on alert.

"What's wrong?" I ask, quickly jumping to my feet.

"We're leaving." He says, not saying anything else as he pulls me to the door.

"What happened?"

"Not now." He says through grit teeth, making me pull my hand away from his. "Anastasia, I said not now."

 _Anastasia? Shit, this must be serious._

"Baby, talk to me. What's going on?" I ask calmly, trying to get him to open up to me. I notice my dad coming out from Carrick's office with a mixed look of anger and hurt on his face, and I feel my heart skip a beat or two.

"What part of _not now_ did you not understand?" Christian snaps, and for the first time in my life, I actually feel intimidated by him.

"Baby girl, go home." My dad says as he approaches us. "Christian is not upset with you, he just needs to calm down a little bit, and it's best he does that away from here."

"What the hell happened?" I ask in exasperation.

"God damn it, Ana!" Christian bellows, making me flinch, and I quickly feel the tears sting the back of my eyes.

"Fine." I say, my voice coming out in almost a whisper. "I'm just going to grab my purse."

I don't give him a chance to say anything else as I make my way back to the living room, where I find Jose and Ethan whispering in the back of the room, Mia looking at her father with wide eyes, and Sandra shooting Carrick daggers with her eyes.

"Where's Grace?" I ask, trying to get my voice under control.

"She's in the kitchen." Sandra tells me as she moves to stand beside my father.

"Could you tell her that I had to leave, and give her my thanks for everything she's done tonight?" I ask as I wipe away the stray tear that managed to escape my eye. "Mia, thank you for everything as well. We'll talk more about the wedding."

"Of course." Mia says as she comes towards me and give me a tight hug. "I'm sorry about my dad."

I only nod at her, because I simply don't know what went on in the privacy of Carrick's office, but I can now guess that Carrick did something to piss Christian off.

Quietly, I make my way out to the car, and Christian is already inside. Once I have my seatbelt buckled up, Taylor drives off towards Escala.

"I'm sorry." Christian says after 5 minutes of complete silence. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, it's just…"

"You're right, you shouldn't." I say as I wipe away the tears that have been silently falling since we drove away from the Greys'. "Whatever Carrick did, you should take your anger on him, not me. We just got engaged today for crying out loud. This should be a happy day for us. It should not end with you yelling at me and me crying over it."

"Baby…" Christian begins, and I can literally feel the pain in his voice. "I'm really sorry."

"You already said that, and until you explain why you yelled at me, I can't respond to your apology."

"Dad brought up a prenup." Christian says after a minute of silence, making look at him with confused eyes.

 _That's it?_

"Christian, he's your father, and he's a lawyer." I say as I reach to hold his hand. "He's just looking out for you."

"He basically called you a gold-digger, Ana!" Christian snaps again, making me pull my hand away. "And in front of Ray!"

"Oh."

 _Ok, that was a bad move to make._

"I don't care what he says, or what he thinks. You're not signing a prenup!"

"But…"

"No!" He snaps again, effectively shutting me up. "I will not start our marriage by planning its end. Besides, you might as well take everything if you decide to leave me. I'm nothing without you, Ana."

"Oh, baby." I say as I unbuckled my seatbelt and quickly crawl into his lap. "I'm not leaving you, Christian. Not now, not ever."

"I can't live without you, Ana." He says as he buries his face in my hair and inhales deep. "You and this baby are my life."

"We can't live without you either." I say as I run my fingers through his hair. For the next five minutes, we stay like that, and I can feel the tension leave his body slowly with every stroke of my fingers against his scalp.

We only pull away when the car comes to a stop, and as soon as we're out of the car, Christian pulls me in his arms again and carries me to the elevator.

"I need you." He whispers against my neck as he walks through the apartment straight to the bedroom.

"Take me." I say as I start placing small kisses against his face, making him shudder.

In record time, we're both naked, and before I can even moan out his name, he pushed through my wet fold, slowly, making me throw my head back in ecstasy.

"I'm so sorry." He whispers as he makes love to me.

"It's ok." I manage to whisper as he brushes against my g-spot, making me let out a loud moan. "Oh Christian."

"I love you."

"I love you." I say, my voice coming out in a whisper. "I love you so much."

I feel his body tense over mine, and then I feel his hand touching me where we are joined, his fingers rubbing against my bundle of nerves, and effectively throwing me over the edge of pleasure.

"Ana!" He moans out as he reaches his own climax, and then he collapses next to me, careful not to smother me with his weight.

After a few minutes of complete silence where we try to catch our breaths, Christian starts playing with the ring on my finger, bringing a smile to my face.

"We're engaged." He simply says, making me giggle.

"Yes, we're engaged." I say and watch him as he props himself on my elbow before he places his hand on my abdomen. "How do you feel about the colors purple and grey for the wedding?"

"As long I'm not wearing a purple suit, I'm ok." He says, making me giggle again. "Would you like me to be involved in the planning?"

"I know that it could get extremely boring for you, but I would love to hear your input." I say as I entwine my finger with his over my abdomen. "I promise I won't drive you crazy with questions and details."

"I don't mind, but to be honest, I'm not worried about you. I'm more worried about Jose and Mia." He says with a snicker, earning a groan from me.

"They are going to go overboard, aren't they?"

"Not if we control them and make it clear what we want early on."

"I'll call them tomorrow and set a lunch date." I say with a sigh. "I also need to talk to my dad and see how much he has saved for my wedding. I'll look into my account as well."

Christian suddenly stiffens beside me, and before I can even ask what's wrong, he leaves the bed and pulls his pants on so quickly, I'm surprised he didn't hurt himself.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Ana?"

"What?" I ask, genuinely confused by his sudden anger. "What did I say?"

"No one will be paying for our wedding except me!" He snaps, and I can't stop myself from covering up with his pillow.

"Christian, my dad has been waiting for me to find someone my whole life, especially after the craziness I kept talking about until I met you." I say, trying to reason with him. "He'll expect to pay for it."

"I don't care what he expects." Christian says a little more calmly now. "I want you to have the best of everything, baby."

"Are you saying that my dad can't give me the best?" I ask, and I can literally feel the anger bubbling up inside me.

"What?" He asks in shock. "No! I didn't mean that! I just meant…"

"What exactly did you mean, Christian? Because that sure sounded like you're patronizing my dad and my humble upbringing." I snap, and I don't miss the look of horror that flashes across his face, but right now, I really don't care how he feels.

 _Better explain yourself quickly, Grey._

"Baby, I swear, I didn't mean it like that." Christian says and takes a deep breath. "I know how hard Ray works to give you the best, even now that you're with me. I know how much he loves you, and how far he would go to make your every dream come true, but it's not his responsibility any more. You're with me now, you're mine, and I'm the one who should make all your dreams come true, including your dream wedding."

 _That was good, I have to give you that._

"He's my father, Christian." I say with a sigh. "He'll always be responsible for my happiness and making my dreams come true, even after I'm married and I have children of my own. You'll understand that when our baby boy wants to get married, or when we have a girl and she meets someone special."

Christian goes silent for a long minute, obviously letting my work sink in, and a long sigh leaves his lungs, as he finally understands what I mean.

"He'll only use whatever he has saved up, anything else I'll pay for." Christian says as he moves to sit beside me again. "I just want you to promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Promise me that you won't hold back on what you want." Christian says as he holds my hand. "I know we come from different backgrounds, Ana, and I respect that fully, but I want you to have your dream wedding, and I know how expensive it can get. I don't want you to worry about money ever again."

"I want to pay for part of the wedding as well." I say, bracing myself for his reaction.

"Ana…" He groans as he throws himself back on the bed and covers his face with his hands.

"I'm not bringing anything into this marriage, Christian!" I sigh. "At least give me that!"

"Why is it so hard for you to understand that what's mine is yours?" He asks from behind his hands. "The minute we get married, you'll own half of everything I own, Ana. I would have done that sooner but I knew you wouldn't accept it."

I'm shocked into silence as his words fully register, and I feel like I'm close to hyperventilating.

"What?" I finally manage to croak out.

"You can't really be surprised by that." He says as he removes his hands and looks at my still shocked face. "I already had my lawyers started on the paperwork so that it'll be ready by the time we get married."

"I can't own half of everything you have!" I squeak. "I wouldn't know what to do with a fraction of that money!"

"I don't care what you do with it, baby, it'll be yours." He says as he sits up and grabs my face between his hands. "You're marrying a billionaire, Ana, you better get used to it."

"But…" I start, but my mouth clamps shut, as I don't even know what to think anymore, let alone form a full sentence.

"No buts." He says with a small smile.

 _Fuck!_

 _Shit!_

 _Fucking shit!_

"I think I need more time to fully grasp what you're saying." I finally manage to say, deciding not to think about this now.

 _I just can't think about this now._

"Ok, I can take that." Christian says as he places a soft kiss on my lips. "How about you get some sleep? You're probably tired after today."

I only nod at him, still not fully able to form coherent sentences, and he helps me lay back on the bed.

"I'm going to finish some work in my office." He says as he brushes my hair with his hand. "I'll join you in a little bit."

Nodding at him, he kisses my forehead before he leaves the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I'm pretty sure that if I weren't pregnant, I would've stayed up with the crazy thoughts going through my head, but growing a baby can have its toll on your body, and sleep claims me within minutes.

The last thought before I drift into dream world is that I'm marrying a freaking billionaire!

 **AN: Please check my pinterest for pictures of the house, the nursery at the Greys', and the engagement ring!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **Monday, March 2** **nd** **, 2015**

 **Ana POV**

"Hi daddy." I say into the phone as I fire up my laptop. I've just arrived to the office, and as soon as I walked through the door, my phone started ringing.

"Hey there baby girl." My dad says from the other end of the line, and I can tell by that one simple greeting that something is wrong.

"What's going on, dad?"

"Did Christian explain what happened last night?" He asks with a sigh, and I let out a sigh of my own.

"Yes, he did. He also made it clear that he doesn't want me to sign a prenup."

"He's a good man." Dad says, and I can imagine him nodding as he says that. "I wanted to talk to you about that."

"Dad, I'm not trying to defend Carrick or anything, but put yourself in his shoes for a second. Imagine if things were reversed, and I was the rich person in this relationship. Wouldn't you want Christian to sign a prenup?"

"Yes, I would." He says in a heartbeat, obviously having thought this over. "But I wouldn't have brought it up in front of his parents."

" _That_ was a mistake on Carrick's side, I give you that." I say with another sigh. "And he'll have to apologize to you for it."

"I don't want his apology, Annie. I want him to treat you with nothing but the respect and love that you deserve."

"In the few months I've known him, Carrick has been nothing but respectful and loving towards me. I would even go as far as say he treats me like he does Mia."

"That's all I wanted to hear, baby girl." Dad says, the relief evident in his voice. "There's something else I want to talk to you about."

"Yes?" I ask, now curious. My dad has never been one to talk over the phone for long; our calls usually being short and straight to the point.

"Sandra and I have been thinking, and we decided to get married sooner than originally planned."

"How sooner?"

" _This weekend_ kind of sooner." He says, and the phone actually slips from my hand as I hear that.

"What?" I ask once I have the phone against my ear again. "Why? I thought Sandra wanted a full wedding!"

"She did, but things change." He says, and I can tell there's something he's not telling me.

Then a thought pops into my head, making my heart drop to my stomach.

"Dad, you're not doing this because Christian and I are getting married, are you?" I ask carefully, not wanting to offend him but at the same time wanting the truth.

"What does that have to do with anything?" He asks, the confusion seeping through his words. "Oh." He says after a few seconds. "You thought that I will have to choose between paying for your wedding and mine, didn't you?" He asks with a chuckle.

"The thought crossed my mind, yes." I admit, and I can feel the blush creeping up on my face.

"You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I'm doing much better than I did back in the day. We're actually thinking about moving to Seattle to be closer to you. I have enough saved up to do that and pay for your wedding." He says, making me feel relief wash all over my body.

"Then why are you getting married so soon?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you that in person, but since you're being so stubborn and curious, as always, I'll tell you now. Just let me get Sandra here. She'll want to tell you as well." Dad says, and I hear him call out to Sandra. Seconds later, I hear the telltale sound of him switching me over to speakerphone.

"Hey Ana!" Sandra says, and the fact that she sounds over-the-clouds happy sets my mind at ease.

"Hey there!" I say with a smile. "What going on guys? Why are you getting married before me? I was really looking forward to being a bride's maid."

"You can still be a bride's maid sweetheart." Sandra says with a chuckle. "Nikki is flying in tomorrow, and you two can finally meet. We'll plan the wedding together."

"I can't wait to meet my new sister." I say, genuinely excited by the prospect of finally having a sibling, even though we're not related by blood. "But this doesn't explain why you moved up the wedding!"

"Are you sitting, Annie?" Dad asks, and I'm immediately worried.

 _Why do I need to be sitting down?_

"Yes." I say slowly, already reaching for my land phone to call Christian, _just in case._

"Well…" Sandra starts and takes a deep breath. "You of all people would understand when I say that I don't want to be as big as a whale on my wedding day."

It takes me a few seconds to fully understand what she means, but when the news sinks in, a loud gasp leaves my lungs as I feel the tears gather in the back of my eyes.

"You're pregnant?" I manage to ask.

"8 weeks along." Dad says, and I can literally hear the pride and happiness in his voice.

"You're pregnant!" I gasp again as the tears starts to fall. "I'm going to be a big sister!"

Suddenly, I break down in sobs, fully aware that those are hormone induced, but for the life of me, I can't manage to say anything to calm my dad down, who is calling my name over the phone.

"I'm going to call Christian!" I hear dad tell Sandra, and within a minute, the door to my office bursts open and a very worried Christian walks in.

"What's wrong, baby?" Christian asks, and I only manage to shake my head at him. Just then, I notice that he has his phone with him, and I'm guessing my dad is on the other side of the line.

"She's not talking, Ray." Christian says into the phone, and through my phone, I hear dad mutter under his breath.

Taking a few deep breaths, I finally manage to calm myself down enough to say _"happy tears"_ , making Christian's shoulders sag in relief.

"You're not upset, are you?" I hear Sandra ask once my sobs stop, and I gasp again.

"Oh my God, of course not!" I say as I wipe away my tears. "I couldn't be happier, Sandra. My hormones are just all over the place."

"Thank God!" Dad now breathes.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Christian now asks in frustration.

"Dad and Sandra are having a baby!" I say with a huge smile, just as a fresh bout of tears spill from my eyes.

"Oh." Christian says, obviously shocked by the news. "Congratulations, guys." He says into his phone, and I can't help but laugh at the fact that we're talking to the same people over two devices.

"When did you find out?" I ask after I've finally calmed down.

"Last week." Sandra says. "We didn't want to steal your thunder yesterday. However, we only decided to get married sooner last night."

"I'm so happy for you, daddy." I say into my phone.

"Thank you, baby girl." Dad says, his voice heavy with emotion. "We'll talk later, ok?"

"Ok." I say, quickly saying my goodbyes before I hang up, and I notice that Christian now has his phone on top of my desk.

"My dad has found his happily ever after." I say with a smile, making Christian walk up to my chair and wipe away my tears.

"Yes he did, just like us." Christian says before he places a quick kiss on my lips, which soon grows to become a passionate kiss.

"Not now." I manage to say as I pull away from him, just as he reaches for the buttons on my shirt. "I have a meeting in 10 minutes."

"Damn." Christian says with a smile.

"How do I look?" I ask, even though I know my face must look a mess now.

"Beautiful." He says, making me roll my eyes at him as I make my way to my bathroom. I take one look at myself in the mirror, and I roll my eyes again.

 _My eyes are puffy, my mascara is running down my face, and he calls me beautiful._

"What did Sandra mean when she said they decided to get married sooner?" Christian asks as he leans against the doorframe of my bathroom.

"They're getting married this weekend." I say as I wash my face then reapply my makeup. "Sandra's daughter, Nikki, is flying in tomorrow, and we're going to meet to start planning the wedding."

"Is it even possible to plan a wedding in a few days?"

"I guess we'll have to find out tomorrow." I say with a shrug, and I notice his eyes shining with excitement. "Don't even think about it, Christian. We are not changing the date for our wedding."

"A man can dream, can he not?" He asks with a shrug and a smile, making me smile in turn. "Who are you meeting with?"

"A new author." I say, making Christian raise a questioning eyebrow at me. "What?"

"Is that new author a he or a she?"

"The new author is a he, who is happily married and is looking to publish his autobiography." I say, making Christian visibly relax. "Do you have any lunch meetings today?"

"Not that I know of, no. Aren't you meeting with Mia and Jose today?"

"Well, since Dad and Sandra are getting married this weekend, I thought I'd push back my planning until next week. I want to help Sandra as much as I can, and I won't be able to do that if I'm planning my own wedding as well."

"I see." He says just as Hanna, my assistant, knocks on the door, silently telling me that it's time for my meeting. "Should I expect your kind company for lunch, then?"

"If it pleases you, kind sir." I say with a giggle, making Christian beam at me.

"Looking forward, Ms. Steele." He says and gives me a quick kiss before he leaves my office, giving me time to get my tablet and notes on the manuscript, and head to the meeting room.

* * *

 **Christian POV**

I have to admit, the thought of my in-laws having a baby around the same time as us is kind of shocking, but I believe I was successful in hiding my feelings around Ana, simply because I didn't want her to mistake my shock for any other negative emotion.

My phone chimes, indicating an incoming message, and I can't help the groan that leaves my lips when I notice that the message I received is from Mia.

" _Why is your fiancé cancelling our lunch date? We barely have time to plan this wedding as it is, Christian!"_

I roll my eyes and ignore my sister. You would think she was planning her own wedding with the amount of excitement she's feeling.

I really pity whoever marries my baby sister. God knows how much I love her, but even I can't handle her sometimes!

"Sir, your father is on the phone for you." Andrea's voice suddenly fills my office, and I quickly feel my body tense up.

"Did he say what he wanted?" I ask, because I might just go ahead and ignore him as well.

"No, sir. He just said that he wanted to talk to you urgently."

I let out a small sigh as I think this over. I know that I have to talk to him eventually, so I resolve to it and decide to talk to him now.

"Put him through." I say before I pick up my speaker.

"Christian." He says by means of greeting. "I'm glad you took my call."

"I'm not going to lie, Dad. I thought about ignoring you." I say, fully knowing that I'm being an asshole.

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you did." He sighs, and I wait for a few seconds before he speaks again. "Listen, I'm not going to beat around the bush. I need Ray's number."

"Why? So you could insult him some more?" I ask without missing a heartbeat, receiving a frustrated sigh from the other end of the line. "I think you did enough damage yesterday."

"Your mother already tore me a new one, Christian. I admit, it was wrong of me to bring the issue up in front of Ray. I should've talked to you privately."

"You shouldn't have brought it up at all, Dad!" I snap. Ray is not the only one he needs to apologize to. He needs to apologize to Ana as well. "You basically called Ana a gold-digger. You insulted Ray, Ana, and myself. Do you really think that I wouldn't know if Ana was after my money?"

"I'm only thinking about your best interest here, Christian. We both know that Ana is not bringing anything into this marriage. Do you really want her to take half of everything you own if things don't work out between you?"

"For fuck's sake! I already said this yesterday, and I'll say it again now. I will not start my marriage by planning how it will end. Ana and I are forever, and if she does decide to walk out, she might as well take everything I own. Why can't you understand that I'm nothing without her?" I yell into the phone, already losing my nerves. "Besides, she's giving me a family, and not you nor anyone in the world can put a price on that!"

"I understand that, Christian, but things have happened rather quickly between you. This is the first time you've been in love." Dad says before he lets out a long sigh. "Listen, I'm not saying that Ana is a bad person. God knows I love her as if she was my own daughter, but you _are_ my son, and it's my job to look after your best interest. You'll understand that when your baby's born."

"You listen to me dad, and listen closely. Unless you plan to apologize to everyone involved in this mess you made, I suggest you don't call me again." I say, my tone deathly calm, making him gasp.

"You're being irrational, Christian!"

"I don't see anything irrational about believing in my relationship with Ana!" I say, and for a long minute, I don't hear anything from his end of the line, and for a second I think he's going to hang up on me.

"I will apologize because I did not mean to even insinuate that Ana is after your money, but I will not apologize for being a father." Dad finally snaps, and I roll my eyes at how stubborn he is being.

We might not be related by blood, but damn it to hell, we both can be as stubborn as mules!

"I'll take that, but if you mention a prenup again, I swear to God, Dad, that will be it for us!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" I say, and I give in to the smirk on my face. "Why don't you and mom come over for dinner tonight? I'll invite Ray and Sandra and we can talk then."

"You'll have to talk to your mother." He says and I have to bite on my inner cheek to stop myself from chuckling. "She's not talking to me at the moment."

"Guest room or couch?"

"Boathouse."

"Ouch!" I say, knowing that mom has dad sleeping on the couch when she's super pissed.

Having him sleep in the boathouse can only mean that she went thermonuclear on his ass last night.

"I'll talk to her." I say with a chuckle, making my dad groan.

"Yeah. Go ahead. Laugh at my misery."

"Hey, you brought it onto yourself."

"You're not going to let me live this down, are you?"

"Not if I can help it."

"I'll see you later tonight, son." Dad says and hangs up without saying another word, making me chuckle again as I put down the office phone. I then reach for my cell and fire up a quick text to Ana informing her of the new dinner plans. I then dial Ray's number, and wait for a few seconds before he picks up.

"Christian? Is everything ok?" He quickly asks, not even bothering with a _hello_.

"Everything is fine, Ray." I say with a smile at his fatherly care.

 _I wonder if I'll be half the great father he is._

"You got me worried there, son." He says with a relieved sigh. "What's up?"

"First of all, congratulations on the amazing news." I say, still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of my father-in-law becoming a new dad again.

"Thank you, son. It was rather a shock." Ray says with a chuckle.

"I can only imagine how Sandra and Ana are going to be, both being only a few weeks apart." I say, and for a second, I can't believe that I'm actually having small talk with Ray about our pregnant fiancés. "How about you and Sandra come over for dinner tonight?"

"That would be nice. Sandra and I are supposed to be meeting with a realtor this afternoon. We can stop by afterwards."

"A realtor?"

"Yeah, I guess Ana didn't tell you yet. We're looking into moving to Seattle."

"That's great news, Ray. I'm sure Ana would love having you close." I say and quickly go through my contacts file on my laptop, looking for my realtor's number. "Are you looking to buy an apartment or a house?"

"Initially we were thinking about an apartment, but with the baby, I think it would be better to have a small house. I'd like for my child to grow in an open space. God knows Ana enjoyed that when she was younger."

"I'll send you my realtor's number in a second. Contact her, and she'll make sure to look into what you need and make it happen."

"Thank you, son."

"Don't mention it." I say and take a deep breath. "Listen, I just talked to my dad, and he would like to apologize for what happened yesterday."

"I'm not the one he needs to apologize to, Christian." Ray says, his tone taking a very serious edge. "Ana might not have been in the room with us last night, but she's the one who needs to hear that apology."

"I already made that clear to him."

"Good." He says, and I inwardly sigh, relieved that there won't be any tension between our families, even after my dad's major fuck up.

We quickly say our goodbyes, and I take a deep breath before I dial my mother's number.

Now to talk to mama bear.

I smile as I think of how protective my mother is of us all, and how she doesn't take crap from anyone, include my dad, when it comes to our happiness.

"Hey mom." I say when she picks up.

"Hello dear." She says, and I can hear the apprehension in her voice.

"How are you?"

"I've been better." She says with a sigh. "I don't like it when your father and I have a disagreement, but he can be such a stubborn man."

 _A disagreement my ass. You had him sleeping in the boathouse._

"Well, I talked to him, and he agreed to apologize to Ana and Ray tonight over dinner." I say with a smile, knowing that no matter what happens between them, the love between my mom and dad will never be affected.

"Oh thank God." She sighs, obviously relieved. "I was worried his stubborn behind would cause tension between us."

"Nothing to worry about there, mom."

"That's good to know." She says, and I hear someone talking in the background. "I would love to talk more sweetheart, but I just got called in for the ER. I'll see you later tonight?"

"Sure, mom." I say, and before I can say anything else, she hangs up.

I sit back in my chair, glad to have gotten through with my phone calls, and then I get back to the pile of documents waiting for my attention.

* * *

I can't help but smile as I watch Ana and Sandra engage in an obviously animated conversation about babies. Ana has her hand on her small bump, and I can't help but imagine her with a full grown belly.

"You're going to be an amazing father." Ray suddenly says from beside me, making me look at him with confused eyes. "The way you're looking at Annie, and the way you're already protective of her and that baby tell me that."

"I can only wish to be as great as you are." I say, hoping that my tone shows how genuine I am.

"Did Annie ever tell you about how I became her father?" He asks, making me nod silently at him. "What Annie doesn't know is that the minute I saw her, I knew that she was going to be a permanent part of my life. She was just a few days old then, and I went to see her when Carla and Frank brought her back from the hospital. I can't really explain it, but the minute I laid eyes on her, I felt this deep sense of protectiveness. That's why when Frank passed away, I couldn't just let her and Carla leave the base. I knew that if that happened, I would lose touch with her, and I couldn't let that happen."

"You're an amazing man, Ray. Anyone else wouldn't have thought twice about letting them go, and they would've been a distant memory. Their friend's widow and daughter who they once knew."

Right then, I notice Taylor come in the room, and he announces that my parents are one their way up, making the atmosphere suddenly go tense.

 _So much for not having tension between the two families._

Less than a minute later, my mother walks into the room, closely followed by my sulking father, and I have to stop myself from chuckling at how he looks like a petulant child.

 _Mom must've given him an earful on the way over._

"Hello everybody." Mom says, ever the polite woman.

"Grace, Carrick." Ana says as she stands up and walks to greet them. "I'm so glad you could make it." She says as she gives my mother a quick hug. She then turns to my dad, who has a sincere apologetic look on his face, and I have to hold my breath, not really knowing how she would react.

With her raging hormones, I wouldn't be surprised if she slapped him.

However, my beautiful fiancé surprises me when she wraps her arms around my dad, giving him a hug as well, and I notice my dad's shoulders sag in relief.

"I'm sorry, Ana." I hear him tell him. "I never meant to insult you or even insinuate that you are after Christian's money."

"You were being a dad, Carrick, and I wouldn't expect any less from Christian when the time comes." She says as she pulls away from the hug and pats him gently on the arm. "However, you upset my dad, and as much as I love you, he comes first."

"Of course." Dad says and he turns his eyes to Ray, who is now looking at him with a stoic face. "I sincerely apologize, Ray."

"Like Annie said, you were being a good father, and if Annie hadn't assured me that you have always been respectful and loving towards her, then we would be having a different conversation." Ray says as he stands up. "We're going to be one family soon, and I would hate it if our kids had to take sides."

"I really love Ana like I do Mia, and I could never wish for a better wife for my son." Dad says as he shakes Ray's extended hand, and just like that, things are back to how they were before my dad decided to shove his foot in his mouth last night.

"Well, since we're enjoying this happiness, why don't we share our news with Carrick and Grace?" Sandra asks as she looks at Ray, and with a beaming smile, Ray just nods at his fiancé.

"Sandra and I have decided to move our wedding up to this weekend, and we would love for you two to join us in our small celebration." Ray says, quickly receiving congratulations from my parents.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why?" Mom asks as she moves to sit beside my dad.

"Of course not, Grace." Sandra says as she reaches to hold Ray's hand. "We're 8 weeks pregnant."

"Oh my God!" Mom gasps as he face splits in a beaming smile. I quickly look at my dad, and I'm happy to see him genuinely smiling at Ray and Sandra. "This calls for a big celebration."

 _I guess I'm the only one who was weirded out with the idea of my father-in-law's swimmers still being effective at his age._

"The champagne and apple cider are already chilling in the kitchen." I say with a smile. "We were just waiting for you two."

"You must be so excited about this Ana." Dad says as he looks at her. "I remember you mentioning that you always wished for a younger sibling when you were little."

"Oh yes!" Ana says as she claps her hands like a little kid. "I'm going to spoil that baby as much as I can."

"Hey! Spoil your own!" Ray says with a laugh, making me laugh as well.

"I can't spoil my son, that's your job as his grandparents." Ana says, making me raise my eyebrows at her. "And it's my job as a big sister to spoil your kid."

"Why can't we spoil our son?" I ask, really confused by her words.

"Because we need to teach him that life is not about material things. Parents need to be loving but strict, and the spoiling is left for the close relatives." Ana says with a roll of her eyes.

"She's right." Mom says, making me look at her with my eyebrows still raised. "Don't you remember your grandparents, uncles, and aunts getting you everything you and your siblings had on your wish lists for Christmas and your birthdays?"

"That doesn't mean that I can't spoil my son rotten!"

"Christian, your son is going to be born into money as it is." Ray says, using such a warm fatherly tone that I can't help but give him my entire attention. "I don't need to tell you this because you'll learn as you go, but you'll have to show him the importance of earning his way through life, not just expect to receive everything because of who he is."

"Ray is right, son." Dad now says, making me sulk back into my seat. "We weren't as well off as you are now, but all of you had to earn your allowances when you hit a certain age. I'm still trying to figure out where we went wrong with Mia, because that girl is more spoiled than a Kardashian, but I'm not giving up hope on her just yet."

That makes the entire room erupt in laughter, and hearing my dad say that, I realize that no matter how much I love my sister, I would never want my children to turn out like her.

That girl wouldn't mind sitting on her ass doing nothing for the rest of her life, and she would still expect me, Elliot, and our parent to provide for her every wish.

Right then, Mrs. Jones walks in carrying a tray with flutes of champagne and sparkling cider, and she moves around the room offering everyone a drink.

The rest of the night is spent in light conversation and laughter, and I couldn't be happier about watching our families interact in such a friendly and loving manner. As the time approached 10 pm, both Sandra and Ana are obviously getting tired, so my parents leave, but not before promising to attend Ray and Sandra's wedding next weekend.

Soon after, Ray and Sandra leave to their hotel room, saying that they already arranged to meet Nikki there when she arrives first thing in the morning.

Once Ana and I are in the bedroom getting ready for bed, I can't help but finally voice my thoughts to Ana about her new sibling.

"Ana?" I ask, making her look at me, as she gets ready for bed. "How old is your father?"

"He's 54." She says, making my eyes grow wide. "Why?"

"Damn!" I say without thinking. "What the hell does he eat?"

"Oh my God!" Ana gasps just before she starts laughing. "You did NOT just say that!"

"I'm really curious!" I say with my own chuckle. "I just hope my swimmers are as strong as his when I'm in my fifties!"

"Stop!" Ana breaths as her laughter becomes uncontrollable.

"You can't tell me that you didn't even _think_ about that!"

"I don't need that image in my head, Christian!" Ana shrieks as she sits down on the small chair in front of her vanity table. "Damn it! Now I'm picturing my dad and Sandra doing it!"

"I think I'm going to ask him." I say as I put on my sleep pants. "I wonder if he has a regular diet of fish and seafood."

"STOP IT!"

"What? I really want to know!"

"Why would you want to know that?"

"Because I want to have as many children with you as I can, and if knowing what your father does means I can get you pregnant when I'm in my fifties, I'm going to get that information!"

"How about we get through this pregnancy before we start planning the next one?" Ana asks with a beautiful smile on her face as she moves to remove the covers on the bed.

"I'm serious, Ana." I say as I move to stand behind her and wrap my arms around her body, resting my hand on her small bump. "I would keep you pregnant forever if I could."

"Even when I can be crazy hormonal and bitchy?" She asks as she relaxes back into me.

"Especially when you're crazy hormonal, and you're never bitchy, you're just pregnant, and I love everything about that."

"I love you, Christian." She says as she turns around and wraps her arms around my neck.

"I love you more, baby." I say as I lean down to place a kiss on her lips, but she just moves her head away from me, making me look at her with shock.

"If you even think that we're _doing it_ after you just talked about my parents _doing it_ , you're outta your mind." She says with a giggle, making me groan as I watch her slide under the covers.

 _Note to self: don't talk about the in-laws fucking ever again!_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **Tuesday, March 3** **rd** **, 2015**

 **Ana POV**

I'm checking my e-mail as I'm wait for Sandra and Nikki to meet me at the coffee shop near GEH. I've submitted a leave request for the rest of the week because I want to give Sandra my full attention in helping her plan her quick wedding to my dad, because I know she will give me _her_ full attention when it's time to plan mine.

"Here she is!" I hear Sandra's voice, making me look up and smile brightly at her. Beside her is a stunning young woman and I stand to greet them. I give Sandra a quick hug, then I move to give one to Nikki, but she takes a step back and just holds her hand out for me to shake.

 _Ok!_

"You must be Nikki. I've heard so much about you." I say, the smile never leaving my face even as I shake her stiff hand.

"Yeah, I've heard a lot about you too." She says, her voice cold.

"Why don't we sit down?" Sandra asks, shooting me an apologetic look. I just nod at them and take my seat, watching as Nikki lets out a huff as she sits down.

"What do you want us to do today, Sandra?" I ask as I take out the notebook I always carry in my bag. I already jotted down a few ideas for what we can achieve today, but I want to hear what Sandra wants before I run my ideas by her.

"I thought we could look for dresses for all of us today. We really need to get through that before we can move to anything else." Sandra says, and I notice that she's a bit nervous.

"We'll get everything ready before Saturday, I promise." I say as I place my hand gently over hers, making Nikki huff at us again.

 _What the fuck is your problem girl?_

"I certainly hope so. I just woke up today panicking about it." Sandra says with a nervous giggle. "I drove your dad crazy this morning. I'm pretty sure he let out a sigh of relief when we left."

"I'm sure he's just as excited." I say with a smile, but I can't help but notice Nikki as she rolls her eyes at us. "Are you ok Nikki?" I can't help but ask. "Is something bothering you?"

"Can we get through this already?" She snaps, making my eyes go wide and Sandra close hers, as if she was counting to 10.

"Ok." I say, not knowing what else to say. "I've listed down a few shops we can go to, unless you already have something in mind."

"I don't know the shops around here, so any suggestion you have would be great." Sandra sighs.

"Ok. Sawyer can take us wherever we want to go today." I smile as I begin to gather my things, but somehow, I already know that it's going to be a very long day today.

 _And if Nikki keeps acting this way, I'm going to end up smacking her upside the head!_

"What about your work?" Sandra asks as she stands up, closely followed by Nikki, and the three of us make our way out to the waiting SUV.

"I asked for the time off for the rest of the week."

"Of course." I hear Nikki say under her breath, and I have to hold myself back from saying something I know I will regret.

 _I will not ruin today for Sandra. I will not ruin today for Sandra. I will not ruin today for Sandra._

"Are you sure that's ok?" Sandra asks as we get into the car. I quickly give Sawyer directions to where we want to go, then I turn to answer Sandra's question.

"Of course it is. You have my full attention and help."

"Her fiancé owns the company, mom. I'm sure it's ok." Nikki spits out as she looks at her cell phone, making me raise a questioning eyebrow at Sandra, who just mouths a silent _sorry_ at me.

"I actually have a lot of days accumulated from when I began working at the company, and I don't have any pressing projects in the pipeline at the moment." I say, not wanting her to think that I'm taking advantage of Christian and his position to have my way at my job.

"I'm sure that's the case." Nikki says, the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Taking a deep breath, _I_ silently count to 10, and I decide that I will ignore Nikki unless I absolutely have to talk to her.

"Tell me, what colors do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking baby blue for your and Nikki." She says, receiving another huff from her daughter, and I literally have to sit on my hands so I don't strangle her.

"I look terrible in any shade of blue, and you already know that." Nikki says, not even bothering to look up from her phone. "Choose a different color."

I notice Sawyer's eyebrows shooting up to his hairline from the rearview mirror. I guess he too didn't miss the commanding tone Nikki used with her mother.

 _Disrespectful bitch._

"Why don't you try a few dresses first? You might find something you'll like." Sandra says, trying to placate her daughter.

"No blue for me, mom." She says, making Sandra take a deep breath again.

"Ok. How about red?" Sandra asks, trying to find a middle ground.

"Makes me look fat." Nikki says without even thinking about it, and I can't help but snort.

 _The bitch is already wearing a red shirt now!_

"Green?"

"Terrible for my complexion."

"Gold?"

"Ew! No way in hell!"

"Then what do you suggest, Nikki?" Sandra asks, and I can tell by her tone that she's already at the end of her patience.

"Grey and purple would be amazing." She says, giving me a patronizing smirk as she says that.

 _Fucking bitch!_

"I already told you those are the colors that Ana chose for her wedding." Sandra says through grit teeth.

"I'm pretty sure this won't be her only wedding. She can choose those colors for her second one or even third."

"What did you just say?" I ask, not able to hold myself back anymore.

"Oh, please. Do you really think that such a good looking billionaire like Christian is going to settle for _you_?" Nikki asks with a snort as she eyes me from head to toe, making my eyes go huge at her words. "I'll give you a year max before he divorces you. I hope he has an airtight prenup in place."

"Nichole Phoenix Smith!" Sandra yells, making Nikki just shrug at her. "I can't believe you just said that! Apologize to Ana right now!"

"I was just saying the truth!" Nikki says as she looks back at her phone. "Who knows, maybe she's just like her mother and she'll be the one leaving Christian."

"Don't listen to her Ana." Sandra quickly says as she reaches to hold my shaking hand. "She's just a little jealous because her boyfriend dumped her a few days ago."

"He didn't dump me. I left his sorry ass." Nikki snorts, but I can tell by her tense shoulders that Sandra is saying the truth.

 _No wonder he dumped her sorry ass. I'm surprised he could even tolerate her._

"We're here, Ms. Steele." Sawyer says, his voice cutting through the tense air in the car, and the second I hear that, I jump out of the car.

Thank God for Flynn, because I know that if she had said that to me a few weeks ago, I would've broke down crying and believed her.

Now I know better, and I know that I'm nothing like Carla, and that Christian would never leave me.

I make my way into the first bridal shop on my list, not caring if Sandra and Nikki are behind me or not. I just need to be away from that toxic cunt.

"Hello and welcome to Seattle Bridal Shop." The receptionist says with a bright smile on her face. She looks too young to be working, but what do I know. "How may I help you today?"

"Hello." I say, forcing a smile on my own face. "I'm just waiting on my future step-mom. She and my dad are getting married this weekend and we're looking for a dress for her."

Just then, I hear the door-chimes ring behind me, and with a quick look over my shoulder, I see a very upset Sandra walk in, followed by a smug-looking Nikki.

"Oh my God, aren't you Anastasia Steele?" The receptionist suddenly asks, and I realize that she has been staring at me since I walked in.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask, and I can't hide the annoyance from my tone.

"You can really be dumb, Ana. It has everything to do with thing." Nikki says as she walks in like she owns the place. "Once the world knows that you and Christian are engaged, bridal shops are going to fall at your feet."

"You and Christian Grey are engaged?" The receptionist shrieks, making me roll my eyes, but not before I shoot daggers at Nikki with them.

"Are you going to be a professional or should I take my business somewhere else?" I ask, just as an older looking woman walks in, obviously having heard all the shrieking.

"What's going on here?" She asks as she looks at the receptionists, then at me, and finally at Sandra and Nikki.

"This is Ana Steele." The receptionist whisper-yells at her boss. "She just got engaged to Christian Grey."

"Please excuse my niece." The woman says with an apologetic smile as she offers me her hand. "She's just filling in for the day."

"It's fine, as long as she keeps the news to herself. We still have not announced our engagement formally." I say, and I make a mental note to have Christian send a few NDAs to Sawyer. I'm going to have to give those away like candy today.

"Of course." She says and shoots her niece a warning look, making her shoulders sag in defeat. "My name is Jessica. How may I help you?"

"This is Sandra, my future step mother." I say, introducing Sandra, and completely ignoring Nikki. "We're looking to find her a wedding dress and maybe a dress for myself and her daughter as well."

"When is the wedding?" She asks as she pulls a notebook from behind the reception desk.

"This weekend." Sandra says, making Jessica drop the pen in shock.

"Is that a problem?" I ask with a perfectly raised eyebrow.

"Of course not." Jessica says, quickly recovering. "Why don't we go to the back and look over the dresses? Do you have something in mind?"

"Something white and simple." Sandra says as we follow Jessica to the back of the store, where there are tens and tens of wedding dresses hanged around the room, with a small step stage for the bride to stand on, surrounded by a semi-circle of mirrors.

"And for Ms. Steele?" Jessica asks, already going to one corner of the room and going through the dresses. "What color do you have in mind?"

"Baby blue." Sandra says, just as Nikki says, "Purple or Grey."

Jessica stops looking through the dresses before she looks at Sandra with questioning eyes, making Sandra sigh and shake her head.

"Baby blue it is, then." Jessica says, shooting an evil look at Nikki.

 _Oh, I like her already!_

"Mom, I said I'm not wearing baby blue!" Nikki says and she actually stomps here foot on the hardwood floor.

"You will shut up and do as you're told, Nikki!" Sandra snaps as she pinches the bridge of her nose. "This is my wedding, and I will choose the colors. I didn't hear you complaining when that friend of yours got married and had you wearing yellow!"

"But I'm your daughter! My opinion should count for something!" Nikki whines and stomps her foot again.

 _I wonder if she's going to throw herself on the floor and throw a tantrum._

"It would if you're being supportive and rational! Maybe you should learn a thing or two from Ana!" Sandra almost yells at her daughter. "She's not even my daughter and she's doing everything she can to help out!"

"Of course. She's the perfect daughter, isn't she?" Nikki asks, and I notice that Jessica is nowhere to be seen.

 _Where did you go? Take me with you!_

"Oh for crying out loud, Nikki." Sandra says with a frustrated sigh before she looks at me. "I'm really sorry about this Ana. Maybe we should do this another day."

"No way in hell." I say, barely keeping myself from slapping Nikki. "We don't have time as it is. I'm going to go call Jessica back in here, and we're going to look for a beautiful dress for you. If you don't find anything you like here, then we'll move to the next shop, then the next, until you find your dream dress."

"Thank you." Sandra says, and I can tell that she's already tired from bickering with Nikki. I nod at her before I go back to the front of the shop, but I hear her telling Nikki that if she doesn't shut the hell up, she might as well go back to New York, because she doesn't want any kind of negative energy around her.

By the time I go back to the fitting room with Jessica, whom I sincerely apologized to for the scene she just witnessed, I find Sandra looking through the dresses and Nikki sulking on one of the couches facing the mirrors.

"I'm really sorry about that." Sandra says as she looks at Jessica with apologetic eyes.

"I've seen worse." Jessica says with a beautiful smile. "Now, how about we find you that dress?"

For the next hour, Sandra tries different dresses, but I can tell that she's not really convinced about any of them, and that she's getting frustrated by that.

Me? I'm just glad that Nikki didn't open her pie-whole at all during that time, but I can also tell that Sandra was hurt by that.

"Jessica, I'm really sorry but I don't think you have what Sandra is looking for." I say as Jessica pulls out yet another dress, making Sandra look at me with relief, while Jessica looks at me with panic. "Thank you for all your help today. I'll make sure to come here when the time comes for me to find my own dress."

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you today, ma'am." Jessica tells Sandra, but it's obvious that she was relieved by my last statement.

 _I'll make sure to come here, as long as they keep the news of mine and Christian's engagement to themselves._

Five minutes later, we're back in the car, and I've given Sawyer direction for the next shop.

"Sawyer, do you happen to have any NDAs with you?" I ask after a few minutes of silence.

"Not at the moment, Ms. Steele." Sawyer says, making me pull my phone out to text Christian.

A: Hey, baby. Could you have someone meets us at our next stop with a few NDAs?

Seconds later, my phone chimes, indicating an incoming text, and I quickly open it.

C: Sure. Is everything ok?

A: Yes, but I was recognized at the first shop, and Nikki let it slip that we are engaged. The huge rock on my finger does not help hiding the news anyway.

C: Damn right it doesn't! I want to scream it out to the world. Reynolds is already on his way.

A: Thanks love. And FYI, Nikki is a major bitch. I'm talking slightly lower than Kate-fucking-Kavanaugh level, but close.

C: Shit! Is everything ok? Please watch for your blood pressure.

A: I'm fine, as long as I don't end up smacking her upside the head. I'm worried about Sandra though. She's being a bitch to both of us, and it's obviously affecting Sandra.

C: Oh.

A: Yes, oh. I have to go now. I'll talk to you later. Love you!

C: Love you more, baby. Don't forget to eat!

I roll my eyes at his last text, but I can't help but smile.

"We're here, Ms. Steele." I hear Sawyer say, and once again, I'm glad that Nikki has kept her mouth shut for the entire ride, never taking her eyes off her phone.

"Let's see if we can find what you want here." I tell Sandra with and encouraging smile.

"Let's." She says with her own smile, albeit a weak one.

For the next two and a half hours, we go to three more shops, two of which we left minutes after we went in because it was obvious that the style of dresses they had were nothing even close to what Sandra had in mind. Nikki kept mostly to herself, occasionally throwing a smartass comment here and there, but both Sandra and I ignored her completely.

By the time we reach the last shop on our list, both Sandra and I are apprehensive, already feeling tired by our failed shopping trip.

After that first shop, Sawyer made sure to go in before us, quickly presenting the shop with an NDA to sign before we even spoke our first _hello_.

"Ms. Steele. It's a pleasure to have you in my shop today." The shop owner, who introduced herself as Maryanne, says the second I walk through the door. "How may I help you?"

"We're looking for a dress for my future step-mom." I say as I introduce Sandra. I notice Maryanne look at my finger, and a quick look of disappointment flashes over her eyes, but it disappears as quickly as it came.

"What do you have in mind, ma'am?" Maryanne asks, already leading us to the fitting room where an assistant who has three flutes of champagne waiting for us meets us.

"Something white, and simple." Sandra says for what seems to be the millionth time today.

"Full length? Sleeves?" Maryanne asks as she points us towards the couches and pulls out a large catalogue full of pictures.

"Doesn't matter." Sandra says just as the assistant offers me a glass, which I politely decline. She then moves to Nikki, and she takes her glass and downs it in one gulp, receiving raised eyebrows from all of us.

"Ma'am?" The assistant offers Sandra, who smiles at her politely with a shake of her head, making Nikki reach for that glass and downs it too. The poor assistant then looks at us with confused eyes, not really knowing what to do, but as Nikki reaches for the last glass, she just smiles at us apologetically.

"When's the wedding?" Maryanne asks as she shows Sandra a few pictures, but she just shakes her head at her.

"This weekend." Nikki says, and I notice that her tone is a bit softer now.

 _Damn it! We should've given her alcohol sooner!_

"No worries there." Maryanne says, and I can't help but smile widely at her. All the other shop owners freaked out when we told them about the date, but this one seems more professional than all of them combined.

 _I guess I won't be going back to that first shop after all._

"Why don't you look through the catalogue and let me know if there's anything that grabs your attention?" Maryanne says with a warm smile, making Sandra visibly relax. "No need to have you changing back and forth until you find something you really like."

"I'd really like that." Sandra says as she begins flipping through the pages. Every now and then, she asks for my opinion, and from the corner of my eye, I notice Nikki inching closer towards us, obviously wanting to be part of the conversation.

"That seems like a nice one, mom." Nikki suddenly says, her tone completely different from that of two hours earlier.

"You're right." Sandra says and smiles warmly at her daughter before she looks at me, silently asking for my opinion.

"I like it." I say and fold the edge of the page. "Keep looking so you have more than one option, then we'll narrow it down."

"You should take ideas as well, Ana." Sandra says, and I notice Nikki nodding, but I decide not to dwell on it at all.

"Today is about you, Sandra. When you join me to find my dress, we'll go over this again." I say, receiving a nod from both Sandra and Nikki.

After about half an hour of looking through the catalogue, Sandra has almost 5 options in dresses, and with mine and Nikki's help, she narrows it down to 3.

"I'd like to try those 3, please." Sandra tells Maryanne, who only nods and calls for the assistant to help her in getting the dresses out. After a few minutes, Sandra disappears into the fitting room with both Maryanne and the assistant, whose name I didn't catch, leaving me alone with Nikki.

"I'm sorry." Nikki suddenly blurts out after a minute or so of awkward silence.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." I say, not missing a heartbeat. "Your mother is the sweetest woman I have ever met, and she was really hurt by your behavior today."

"I know, and I will apologize to her as well." Nikki says and takes a deep breath. "I just…" She begins, and then pauses before she takes another deep breath. "I don't have an explanation for the way I behaved today, other than that I was, _am_ , really jealous. Mom was right; my boyfriend of 5 years broke up with me a few days ago, because he suddenly decided that he wasn't in love with me anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but that doesn't justify you being mean to your mother. I might be able to understand you being mean to me, even though we've never met and you don't even know me, but your mother has dedicated her life for your happiness, and the least she deserves is your support when she's about to marry the love of her life."

"That's the other part of my jealousy." She says with a sigh. "I realize now how stupid I was, but I always thought that my mom and dad will one day get back together. They're still friends, and they're great when they hang out, but I now realize that that's what they are, just friends. She has Ray now, who is an amazing man, and who I need to apologize to as well."

 _Oh hell no! You better not have been rude to my daddy, bitch!_

"And now they're moving here to Seattle where they will have you here with them all the time, while I'm all the way in New York, and they're having a baby." She says, and I notice she has unshed tears in her eyes.

 _Not getting any pity from me. Yet._

"Nikki, your mother loves you, just like my dad loves me. And just like no one could ever take my place in my dad's life, no one will ever replace you in your mom's. Yes, I'm here in Seattle, but that would never mean that I will ever take your place."

"I realize that now." She sniffs, reaching for a tissue from the box placed on the table in front of us. "You're too nice to be mean."

"Oh believe me, I can be meaner than you can even imagine, but I held back today out of respect for your mother." I say, shooting her a glare with my eyes. "In the short amount of time I've known her, Sandra has been more of a mother to me than my own, and no matter how I'm feeling, I would never hurt her."

"I'm really sorry!" Nikki gasps and breaks down in open sobs, making me just stare at her.

 _If you're expecting a comforting hug from me, think again._

"I can't apologize enough, Ana." She says after a few seconds. "I promise I'll be better from now on. I'll be the real Nikki my mom told you about."

"I'm not going to hold my breath." I say, making a new bout of tears fall down her face.

"Nikki, are you ok sweetie?" We both hear Sandra ask as she steps out in what I can only describe as the most stunning dress I've seen on her today, making both Nikki and I gasp at her.

"Oh mom, you look beautiful." Nikki says as she takes small steps towards her mother.

"What's wrong, honey? Why are you crying?" Sandra asks, completely forgetting about the dress she's wearing as she wraps her daughter in a strong hug. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, mom." Nikki gasps as she starts crying all over again, making me inwardly roll my eyes. "I'm really sorry about the way I've been acting today, but you're right, I'm being a jealous bitch, and I promise to stop."

"Oh sweetie." Sandra says as she rubs her hands over Nikki's back, trying to comfort her. "It's ok. Just don't do it again, and please, don't keep your feeling inside. Talk to me. Let me know how you feel and what you think."

"I will, mom, I promise." Nikki says, making Sandra place a loving kiss over the top of her head, before Nikki takes a step back and looks at her mother from head to toe. "I don't think you should try other dresses, mom."

"I don't think so either." Sandra says with a beaming smile, and then she looks at me, silently asking for my opinion.

"You look like an angel, Sandra." I say, hoping that my voice shows how sincere I am, because she _does_ look like an angel in that dress.

"I'll take it." Sandra tells Maryanne, who now has a beaming smile on her face.

"Excellent choice."

"Do you have any bride's maid dresses?" Nikki asks, receiving raised eyebrows from both Sandra and I.

 _I guess she's really trying._

"What color?"

"Baby blue." Nikki says quickly, making her mom smile widely at her.

"Let me go bring the other catalogue, and you can choose from that." Maryanne says before she turns to look at Sandra. "Why don't you go back into the changing room so Lisa can help you out of the dress?"

Sandra only nods as she walks back into the room, just as Maryanne goes to the front of the shop. Just as she walks back carrying a large catalogue, my phone starts ringing with Jose's ringtone.

"Hey!" I say as soon as I pick up.

"You better not be trying wedding dresses without me, bitch!" Jose says, not even bothering with a hello.

"What? What makes you say that?" I ask, genuinely confused. "You know I would never do that!"

"Then why the fuck are you visiting bridal shops for?"

"I'm with Sandra." I say, then it downs to me that I didn't tell Jose that I'll be doing this today.

 _How the fuck did he find out?_

"Jose, how did you know what I'm doing?"

"Why is Sandra trying dresses already? I thought they weren't getting married until after you did."

"They moved the wedding up for this weekend. You didn't answer me, Jose. How did you know I'm visiting bridal shops?" I ask, a feeling of dread already filling my heart.

"This weekend?" Jose shrieks, completely ignoring me. "What's wrong with you people? No one plans a wedding on such a short notice!"

"Jose!" I yell into the phone, effectively shutting him up. "How the fuck did you know I'm visiting bridal shops?"

"I got an alert on my e-mail." Jose says as if that was the most logical explanation in the world. "I receive alerts whenever there is anything published about you or your hot piece of ass fiancé."

"Shit!" I say, just as I watch Sawyer storm into the fitting room, closely followed by the receptionist who is yelling at him that he's not allowed back here.

"Ms. Steele, I think it's better that we leave now." Sawyer says. "Someone took a picture of you as you entered here and the paparazzi are starting to gather outside."

"Fuck!" I snap and hang up, not even bothering with telling Jose goodbye, and I quickly dial Christian's number.

"Ana, are you ok baby?" Christian says, and I can tell by his voice that he's worried sick about me.

"So far, yes. Sawyer says that the paparazzi are already gathering outside." I say, and I feel a sense of panic start to rise in my stomach.

"I'm on my way with Taylor and Reynolds." He says, and I hear him yelling at Taylor to get the car ready. "Just stay inside until we get there, ok?"

"Ok." I say, my voice coming out weak even to my own ears.

"I love you baby. I promise to keep you and our baby safe." He says, but before I can say anything else, he hangs up.

"Is everything ok, Ana?" Nikki asks, a look of genuine worry on her face.

"Someone took a picture of me as we came in here and posted it online." I say and let out a shuddering breath. "The paps are starting to gather outside."

"What can I do to help?" She asks, making me raise my eyebrows in shock at her, and making her simply shrug at me in return.

"Nothing." I say after a second of shocked silence. "Christian and two other security guards are on their way. They should be able to get us out of here safely."

"There's a back door." Maryanne says, reminding us of her presence. "You can leave through that without anyone noticing."

I notice Sawyer's eyes brighten up before he asks her to show him the back door, and I see him pull out his phone, probably calling Taylor. Seconds later, he returns with blank look on his face, and he shakes his head at me.

"It's a small alley. The car can't even fit there." Sawyer says, and my heart sinks again.

"Don't worry, Ana. We'll keep you safe." Nikki says, receiving yet another shocked look from me and from Sawyer as well.

"What's going on?" Sandra asks as she walks out, dressed back in her regular clothes. Nikki quickly tells her what happened, receiving a string of choice curses from Sandra.

Less than five minutes later, I hear Christian's voice calling out for me, and I quickly move to meet him half way.

"Are you ok?" He says as soon as he sees me, pulling me in for a strong hug.

"Yes." I say as I wrap my arms around him. "I haven't gone out yet."

"Taylor parked as close to the door as he can, but the fuckers are gathered around the door. We will have to push our way through."

"Fuck!"

"I'll keep you safe." Christian says as he holds my face in his hands and forces me to look at him.

"I know." I say, but it feels more like I'm trying to convince myself.

"We should head out, Sir." I hear Taylor say, and I realize that I didn't even see him when he came in.

"Ok." Christian says and looks at Nikki and Sandra. "Sawyer and Taylor will go first. I'll follow with Ana, then you two can follow us, and Reynolds will be right behind you."

"Ok." Both Sandra and Nikki say, and I notice Maryanne quickly give Sandra her card.

 _Fuck! She didn't finish with all the details._

"Let's go." Taylor says, and the entire group makes its way to the front of the shop. I freeze at the sight before me, because there are at least 25 reporters with their faces pressed against the front window of the shop, trying to look inside.

 _Thank God for tinted glass!_

As soon as Taylor opens the door, the deafening sound of the reporters screaming all kinds of questions fills the shop, and I notice a look of horror flashes over Nikki and Sandra's faces.

"We need to be fast, ladies." Sawyer says right before he pushes his way through the throngs of reporters. I notice him pushing a couple of reporters away, who tried to sneak into the shop. Taylor then shields Christian and I as we try to make our way to the waiting car.

"When are you getting married?" One reporter screams, making me cringe at his loud voice.

 _I'm standing right here, asshole. I can hear you just fine!_

"Ana, have you signed a prenup yet?"

"Ana, how did Christian propose?"

"Christian, are you sure the baby is yours?"

"Ana, where are you getting your dress from?

"Christian, is that your other girlfriend?" A reporter asks as he points the camera at Nikki, who has now left the store and is close behind us with Sandra beside her.

"What the hell?" I hear Nikki snap before she looks at the reporter who asked the question. I stare in horror as I watch her approach him before she shoves him back. "You fucking asshole! That's my sister you're talking about!"

"Nikki! Get in the car!" I hear Christian yell before he gently helps me in the car. He then turns back to grab Nikki's arm, but not before Nikki punches the reporter on the nose, sending him back into another reporter, and making them both fall down, closely followed but another 3 reporters who were standing close.

I can't help but laugh at the sight of the reporters piled over each other because of Nikki's punch, and without even thinking about it, I pull Nikki into a hug as soon as she slides into the car.

"Thank you." I tell her, earning a small and shy smile from her.

"They're assholes who were insulting you and Christian." Nikki says, earning a raised eyebrow from Christian. "It's the least I could do."

 _Ok. Maybe she's not so bad after all._

"Where's Sandra?" I ask when the car starts to move and I realize that she's not with us.

"She's in the other car with Taylor." Christian says, still looking between me and Nikki with confused eyes.

"Good." I say, and mouth a silent _later_ at him before I turn to look at Nikki. "Did you happen to take Maryanne's card?"

"No, but mom did." Nikki says as she relaxes back in her seat. "Do you think we'll be able to go back there for a proper fitting for her and to maybe find our dresses?"

"I'll arrange for Maryanne to come to our apartment. I don't want to risk this happening again."

"Can you do that?" Nikki asks, her eyes growing with obvious amazement.

"Of course." I say with a shrug. "I just want to make sure that Sandra gets her dream wedding. I know she and your dad never got married. It's only fair that every woman should have her dream wedding."

"Thank you." Nikki says after a moment of silence. "What can I do to help make that happen?"

I sigh at that. With what happened today, the paps are going to be out for blood. I'm not sure how we will be able to get things done in time for the wedding on Saturday.

"Maybe you should enlist Mia and Jose for their help." Christian suggest, making my eyes brighten up at his suggestion.

 _And maybe that'll get them off my back for a while as well._

I quickly pull out my phone, only to find 10 missed calls from Mia. I quickly call her back, and as soon as she picks up the phone, I hear sniffling from the other end of the line.

"Mia, are you ok?" I ask, making Christian's eyes grow with worry.

"I'm really sorry if I overwhelmed you, Ana." Mia says.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're going dress shopping without me!" She cries, making me roll my eyes. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just trying to help. You're like the sister I've never had."

"Mia, calm down." I say with a sigh. "I wasn't out dress shopping for myself. Dad and Sandra have pushed back their wedding, and I was out with her. We were looking for her dress."

"Oh." Mia says after a moment of silence. "So you're not mad at me?"

"No, I'm not." I say with a giggle. "But I will be if you continue to drive me crazy."

"I won't! I promise."

"Good." I say, giving Christian a smile of assurance. "Now, I'm going to need your help and your amazing wedding planning skills."

"Of course!" She shrieks so loud that I actually have to hold the phone away from my ear for a bit.

"Dad and Sandra are getting married on Saturday." I say, receiving another loud shriek from her. "You, Jose, Nikki, and I need to work together to make that happen. You in?"

"I'm so in!"

"Great! Meet us at the penthouse in 30 minutes and bring Jose with you."

"Will be there." She says and hangs up without even saying goodbye, making me giggle at her. I then turn to look at Christian, who is looking at me with really confused eyes.

"Baby, I'm really sorry to do this, but I'm going to have to use the influence of your name." I say, my voice sincerely apologetic.

I'd never do this for myself, but for Sandra, I'll do anything.

"About freaking time!" Christian sighs with a beaming smile, making Nikki's eyes grow wide at us.

"I haven't properly introduced you two yet." I say with a smile. "Christian, this is Nikki, my soon to be stepsister, Nikki, this is my fiancé Christian."

"Nice to meet you." Nikki says as she shakes Christian's hand, but he just looks at her carefully. I'm guessing he's not sure how to act around her, between the text I sent him earlier and her behavior with the reporters, I'm sure he's more than confused.

"Likewise." Christian mutters before the car is engulfed in comfortable silence. It takes us about 15 minutes to get to Escala, and Nikki gasps when she sees at least 15 reporters gathered in front of the building and by the garage entrance.

"Holy fuck!" She mutters under her breath when the reporters start to gather around the car, but Sawyer magically makes it inside the garage without running any of them over. "Is it always the same?"

"They'll get over it." Christian says as Sawyer stops the car. "Something will happen in the couple of days and they'll divert their attention to that."

"Am I going to get in trouble for punching that reporter?" Nikki asks, her voice suddenly worried.

"Don't worry Nikki." Christian says as the three of us get out of the car, and I notice Taylor parking beside us before Sandra leaves the car with a look of horror on her face. "I'll take care of everything."

"I'm sorry." Nikki apologizes as Sandra approaches us.

"Are you ok Nikki?" Sandra asks as she holds her daughter's hand and looks over her knuckles. "That was a mean ass punch."

"It's nothing that an ice-pack can't heal, mom." Nikki says with a giggle as we make our way into the elevator.

"Sandra, I think it's better that we do everything from the privacy of our apartment from now on." I say, making Sandra look at me with nervous eyes. "You don't have to worry about anything. Everything you want will happen."

"You're already doing so much Ana." Sandra asks as we walk into the penthouse. "I can't ask you for more."

"You're not asking for anything." I tell her with a smile on my face. "You're going to officially be my mom in a few days, it's the least I can do."

"Are you ok?" I hear my dad's voice, and I'm actually surprised he's here.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" I ask as he gives me a quick hug before he moves to Sandra and studies her over, making sure that she's fine.

"Sandra told me what happened. I came here as fast as I could." He says before he turns to look at Nikki. I can't really explain the look her has, and for a second, Nikki actually looks scared as she takes a step behind me, as if she's using me as a shield. "And you, young lady." He starts, making me worry as well. His face then breaks into a beaming smile, allowing me to relax. "I could never be more proud of having you as a stepdaughter."

"Uh… umm…" Nikki stutters as my dad pulls her into a strong hug. "Thanks, I guess?"

"What the fuck is going on?" Christian whispers beside me, making me giggle. "I thought she's a bitch and we're supposed to hate her."

"Not anymore." I say with a smile. "She was just going through a rough time and didn't know how to properly express herself."

"So we're ok with Nikki?" He asks as he pulls me to him and places his hand on my small bump.

"We're ok with Nikki." I say, and I can't help but smile at my ever growing family. Nikki and I might have gotten off on the wrong foot, but after what happened today, I have a feeling she and I are going to be very close.

 _I wonder if she and Elliot would make a good match!_


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Just wanted to give a shout out to the freaky ladies across the zones. You know who you are, and you all rock! I also forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but another shout out to deerhunter00025 for helping choose Nikki! Like always, Piniterest has been updated. Link is on my profile.**

 **Chapter 24**

 **Saturday March 7** **th** **, 2017**

 **Christian POV**

I'm sitting in my parents' living room, waiting for the ladies to arrive for Ray and Sandra's wedding. My parents insisted on them having the wedding at their house, and I really think it's Dad's way of apologizing for the prenup stunt he pulled last week.

The backyard is fully ready with a tent and tables, and I can see the catering workers buzzing around like bees making sure everything is ready. Ray is getting ready upstairs in one of the guest rooms, while Jose insisted to get ready with the girls back at our apartment, and Ethan said he'll be here before the ceremony starts.

I can hear Elliot moving around in the kitchen, and I have to shake my head at my joker of a brother. He's lucky mom is upstairs getting ready as well, or she would tan his behind. I decide to go see what he's doing, and I find him with his head stuck inside the fridge.

"Should I call mom on your ass?" I ask, making him flinch, and in result, bang his head against the top of the fridge.

"Damn it, Christian!" He says as he rubs his hand of the spot he just hit. "I swear to God you move like a ninja!"

"Well, someone needs to be able to prank you." I say with an evil smirk, making him narrow his eyes at me. "Mom!" I then yell, making him jump at me and cover my mouth with his hand.

"Don't you fucking dare!" Elliot hisses as he looks over behind me to make sure that mom didn't come down. "She'll kill me."

"She should. What were you doing rummaging around in the fridge?"

"I saw the caterer bring in a box of those delicious crab cakes mom always serves. I wanted a piece." He says, earning a raised eyebrow from me. "Ok, maybe more than one piece. But man, seriously! Those crab cakes are fucking delicious!"

"You can eat as much as you want during the reception."

"Well, those disappear as soon as they're placed on the tables. I don't want to risk missing out on them."

"You can ask for the recipe and have Nikki make them for you." I tease, earning an eye-roll from my stubborn assed brother.

"Fuck that bitch." He says, but I can tell from the way his face flushes that he doesn't mean that.

Nikki and Elliot met a few days ago, and the minute their eyes locked, everyone in the room could literally feel the mutual attraction the two had for each other. However, my brother then decided to open his mouth, and he received a punch on the shoulder so hard it had _me_ wincing.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Ana, Jose, Ethan, Nikki, and I are sitting at the private booth at the Mile High Club, waiting for Elliot and Mia to arrive. We decided on a night out, as a distraction for Ana and Nikki from all the wedding planning they have been doing with Sandra._

 _After that incident with the paps in front of the bridal shop, Nikki proved that she was not as bad as she was that first day. She kept apologizing to Ana and Sandra whenever she could, and ended up having Ana almost yell at her, telling her to stop with it already._

" _Do you think Nikki and Elliot would make a good match?" Ana asks from her spot beside me as she sips on her orange juice._

" _Sweetie, you know how Elliot is, and she just got out of a long-term relationship. I don't think it'll be a wise move to try to fix them up together." I say as I rub my hand over her exposed thigh._

" _But he might help her get over that asshole." Ana says with a sigh. "She's really heartbroken."_

" _I understand that, but he's my brother, and I wouldn't want him to be the rebound guy."_

" _Why would he care if all he wants is to hit it and quit it?" Ana says, earning a booming laugh from me, and making the rest of our group look at us with questioning eyes._

" _What if he decides he wants more and she doesn't?" I ask, but even to my ears, that sounds weird. I can never imagine the day Elliot would want to settle down. He's just too much of a manwhore to quit his ways._

 _Just as Ana opens her mouth to say something, I see Elliot and Mia approach, and I stand up to greet them._

" _Hey there brother!" Elliot says as he gives me a quick man hug after I have greeted Mia._

" _Don't even try to do anything with Nikki. She's going to be my sister-in-law and I don't want things to get messy!" I whisper in his ear, making him chuckle at me and nod, but when his eyes bug out of his skull when he sees Nikki, I have to hold back my groan._

 _However, when I look at Nikki and see that she has a similar reaction, I silently wonder if Ana might be right._

" _Nikki, this is my sister Mia, and over there is my brother Elliot." I introduce, and smile when I see Mia engulf Nikki in a bone-crushing hug._

" _Oh my God! I've heard so much about you!" Mia squeals as she holds Nikki at arm's length and looks her over, making Nikki stand their awkwardly. "Your dress is stunning. YOU are stunning. Isn't she stunning, guys?"_

" _I think Elliot is the only one who can answer that, Mia." Jose jokes, making Mia turn to look at Elliot, who is still gaping like a fish._

" _I guess it's safe to say that Elliot thinks the same." Ethan says from beside his fiancé, making us all chuckle and Nikki blush._

" _Told you." Ana says as soon as my ass touches the couch beside her, and I watch with careful eyes as Elliot recovers from his initial shock, and then moves to sit beside Nikki._

" _So, if you're going to be Ana's sister in a few days, will that make you my sister-in-law too?" Elliot asks as he puts his arm on the back of the couch behind Nikki's shoulder. "Because I don't want to commit incest when we fuck."_

 _Before I can even scold Elliot for his stupid behavior, I hear him groan in pain as Nikki punches his shoulder, and he actually flinches before he starts rubbing at the spot she hit._

" _You spoke too soon." I tell Ana, internally wincing at the painful look on his face._

Damn, that girl has a mean punch!

" _Damn it." Ana mutters under her breath. "Well, at least he ruined thing on his own. We didn't have anything to do with it."_

 _ **End Flashback**_

That night, Nikki refused all of Elliot's advances, even refused to as much as dance with him. However, it was obvious that the two of them are seriously attracted to each other, but my stubborn brother refused to try again, politely, and Nikki, well, since she recently had her heart broken, I don't think anyone can blame her for not pursuing her attraction.

"You wish you could." I say with a chuckle, making him narrow his eyes at me again.

"I wouldn't touch that pussy with a 10 ft. pole." Elliot says, making me give out a booming laugh at his obvious anger about being rejected.

I don't think he's ever been rejected, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

"What are you two doing in the kitchen?" I hear mom's voice from behind me, and I can't help but cough to hide the snicker threatening to leave my lips at Elliot's horrified look.

"Elliot was looking for the crab cakes." I say, quickly ducking away from Elliot who tries to punch me in the shoulder.

"Elliot Trevelyan Grey!" Mom scolds as she walks into the kitchen. "Get out of the kitchen right this minute. I don't want to see you anywhere the catering workers until it's time for the reception."

"But mom!" Elliot whines. This time, I'm not able to hold back my laughter, earning an angry look from mom in return.

"Stop laughing at your brother's expense, Christian." Mom scolds, making me snicker again. "Ray wants to talk to you."

I only nod, afraid that I might burst out laughing if I open my mouth, and I quickly make my way up to Ray's room. I knock gently on the door then walk in when I hear a gentle _come in_ from the other side, and I find Ray pacing the floor with his hands in his pants pockets.

"You ok, Ray?" I ask, noticing how nervous he is.

"I guess." Ray says, making me stand there awkwardly.

 _What are you supposed to tell your future father-in-law in such a situation?_

"Nervous?"

"I guess." He says again, making my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. I don't think I've ever heard Ray give such small answers without it being a smartass comment of some sorts.

"Everything is ready." I say, trying to set his mind at ease. "Ana texted me a while back. She said that they're almost ready and should be on their way soon."

"That's not what I'm nervous about." He says with a sigh, then he looks up at me, and I can't really decipher the look in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Ray?"

"I need you to make me a promise, Christian." He says and takes a deep breath. "I'm not getting any younger, and I know that becoming a father at this age means that I'm most probably not going to be around for most of my child's important milestones."

"Ray…" I begin, not wanting him to have such depressing thoughts on his wedding day.

"Let me finish, son." Ray says as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm lucky to be a healthy man, but that doesn't guarantee anything. I want you to promise me to be there for my kid, to stand by their side when I'm gone."

"You don't have to worry about anything, Ray." I say and move to sit beside him. "You said it, you're a healthy man. Other men at your age have different health issues, but you don't. For all you know, you could watch your grandkids graduating school and going off to college."

"Yes, that could happen, and the opposite could happen as well." Ray says with a sigh. "Just promise me, son. I know Sandra is going to be an amazing mother, but I need you to promise me that you will be there for her and our kid."

"I promise." I say after a second, knowing that he's not going to let it go until I do.

"Thank you." He says with a small smile before he takes a deep breath. "Shall we go down and wait for our women?"

"Ray, wait." I say as soon as he stands up. "Is everything ok? Ana told me that you had a checkup the other day."

"Yes, everything is perfectly fine." Ray says with a beaming smile. "I'm as healthy as a horse. The doctor was even shocked that I've fathered a child at this age."

This time, I really choke on my saliva as I remember the conversation I had with Ana about Ray becoming a father again.

"Let's go wait for the girls downstairs." I say, deciding it's best to change the subject altogether.

"Ray!" Elliot's voice booms around the house as soon as we reach the last step. "Man, you have to tell me what your secret is!"

"What secret?" Ray asks with a confused look.

"You're what? 50? And your lady is pregnant!" Elliot says, earning a look of horror from both my mom and me. "I want to know what you do to keep it getting up at your age."

"First of all, I'm 54." Ray says with a smirk, making Elliot's eyes go wide. "Secondly, all you need is a good woman in your life, and you'll be able to get it up even if you're 90!"

"Carrick!" Mom says, obviously mortified by Elliot's behavior and calling for his assistance in making my brother shut up, but she just receives a shrug from dad.

"Don't look at me, sweetheart." Dad says as he sips on the glass of scotch he has. "I'm nearing 60 and we still go at it like rabbits. If it weren't for that awful case of mumps I got when I was a kid, we would still be having children to this day."

"Dad!" Both Elliot and I scream, definitely not wanting that image in our heads.

Just then, my phone chimes, indicating an incoming text, and I eagerly pull my phone out, looking for anything that would stop this horrific conversation. I see that the text is from Ana, and I look up at Ray with an excited smile.

"I just got a text from Ana." I say, making Ray smile as well. "They're 10 minutes away."

"Good." Ray says with a nod.

Since they were originally planning to get married at the courthouse, Ray and Sandra didn't invite anyone to their wedding, except for my family as well as Jose and Ethan. Even when my parents insisted on throwing them a full wedding, they still refused, saying that the people here are the only ones they want present.

I almost expected Sandra to invite Nikki's dad, seeing that they're still friends, but I later discovered that Ray wasn't so fond of the man.

 _I guess jealousy is not just a Grey trait._

"You should all go outside." Mom says as she ushers us out to the backyard. "We don't want you seeing Sandra before it's time."

"But I want to see Ana." I whine, much like Elliot did earlier, and I receive a laugh from him.

"You'll see her when she walks down the aisle as well." Mom says, making me pout as she pushes me out with the rest of the men. We're soon joined by Ethan, who quickly starts fooling around with Elliot, making Ray, Dad, and myself laugh at their antiques.

15 minutes later, mom comes out to tell us to get in position, and being Ray's best man, I take my spot beside him by the makeshift altar, and Jose stands beside me as Ray's groomsman. I notice Ray fidgeting in his spot, but he takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly when the music starts.

Mia, who has come into the tent a few minutes ago, pulls away at the white fabric, revealing a stunning looking Ana, and I feel my breath catch in my throat. She's wearing a beautiful baby blue dress that hangs loose around her small belly, and she's carrying a small bouquet of white and blue flowers.

I catch her eyes with mine, and her beautiful smile steals my breath away again. I find myself wondering how it'll feel when it's us getting married, and I realize that I would get married to her right here if I could.

I'm pulled away from my thoughts when the judge, who happens to be a friend of my dad's, speaks up, and within seconds, his voice becomes a background noise to my imagination of our own wedding. My eyes never leave Ana, and I picture her in her wedding dress, with her belly round in front of her. I imagine us dancing our first dance as husband and wife, cutting the cake, and I even imagine us as we leave the wedding to our honeymoon. I have to hold back on imagining the wedding night, because I know that I will be getting a raging boner at the thought alone.

"Christian, may we have the rings please?" The judge asks, pulling me away from my thoughts once again. I smile as I pull the rings out of my pocket and place them in Ray's shaking hand, making me smirk at him.

"Thanks, son." Ray says, and I just nod at him. That's when I notice Sandra for the first time, and I have to say, she looks beautiful in her dress. I also notice that she has tears in her eyes, and as Ray recites his vows to her, a couple of tears escape her eyes.

My eyes go back to Ana as Sandra recites her own vows, and I silently mouth _I love you_ at her, making her blush and mouth it back at me.

Before I even know it, the judge announces Ray and Sandra as husband and wife, making us all clap at them, and Elliot hoot as the two share their first kiss as a married couple.

Since the wedding is a small one, we just stay in the same tent where the back of the tent is arranged with a big table and a small dance floor. Once Ray and Sandra make their way to the table, I quickly make my way to Ana, and I pull her in my arms for a long kiss.

"You look stunning baby." I say once I pull away.

"Thanks." She blushes and looks down at her flowers. "You look great as well. Too great."

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?" I ask with a chuckle.

"When my hormones are all over the place and I want to rip this suit away? Yes, I have to say it is." She says with a giggle.

"We can always sneak away for a quickie." I whisper against her ear, making her shudder.

"No. I'll wait until we get back home." She says as she rubs her hand against my chest. "Delayed gratification, and all."

"Tease." I groan, making her giggle again.

"Are you two planning to join us anytime soon?" I hear Ethan ask, making me shake my head and look at him with a raised eyebrow since he has his arms wrapped around Jose's waist.

"I see you can barely keep your hands away from Jose, man." I say as I take Ana's hand and lead her to the table.

"Have mercy on us, single souls here." Mia says as she takes her place next to Elliot, who I notice has not taken his eyes away from Nikki for one second.

 _Maybe he'll get his head out of his ass today._

"Can I have your attention please?" Ray says as he clinks his knife against his champagne glass. Once he has everyone's attention, he stands up with a smile on his face. "First of all, thank you all of being here with us on our special day. It means the world to Sandra and I that we get to share our wedding with you." He starts, then he looks at my mom and dad, and I notice dad fidgeting a little in his seat. "Carrick and Grace, I cannot thank you enough for opening your home to us, and giving us this beautiful wedding. With that being said, let the party begin!"

"To Ray and Sandra!" Dad says, making us all cheer after him.

For the next hour, the 11 of us enjoy the dinner that mom had planned for the wedding before we move to the dancing portion of the celebration. However, I can't help but notice that Elliot and Nikki keep stealing glances at each other.

"You've noticed too?" I hear Ana ask from beside me while I'm looking at Elliot.

"I think we need to do something." I say, surprising both her and myself with my words. I've always been adamant about staying away from other people's relationships, but I want to see my brother happy, and if that means that I have to put in a good word for him with Nikki, then so be it.

"Yes." I say with a small sigh before I turn to look at Ana, who I find is watching Nikki.

"You talk to Nikki and I'll talk to Elliot." She says before she places her hand on my thigh and presses gently, as if silently encouraging me to go with it.

"I hope this doesn't come back to bit us in the ass." I say with a smile, making her smile in turn.

"I don't think it will."

I notice that Ray and Sandra, as well as my parents, are on the dance floor, dancing to a slow number. I nod then at Ana and stand up, making my way to where Nikki is sitting chatting with my sister.

"Mia, can I talk to Nikki for a second?" I ask, earning a silent smile from Mia before she leaves her seat, and I smile as I watch her drag Jose to the dance floor as the music changes to an upbeat song.

"Hey." Nikki says as soon as I sit beside her.

"Hey." I say with a soft smile. "You look beautiful today."

"Thank you." She says with a blush. "You look handsome, too."

"Thank you." I say before I take a deep breath. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about Elliot." I say, earning an immediate blush from her. "Judging by that blush, I'm going to hazard a guess and say you like him."

"He's nice and funny, but his mind-to-mouth filter is practically nonexistent." She says with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, I know about his reputation."

"Are you looking for something serious?" I ask, making her look at Elliot before she looks back at me. "I mean, you live all the way in New York, and I understand that you just got out of a long-term relationship. You're going to be my sister-in-law in a few months, and I like you, but Elliot is my brother, and he comes first."

"Yes, I understand that." She says with a sigh. "But my relationship was long dead before it even ended. I just didn't have the guts to walk away when I realized that things weren't going anywhere."

"So, if you do give Elliot a chance, he won't be just a rebound." I state rather than ask, receiving a subtle nod from her.

"As for the fact that I live in New York, I've been thinking about moving back to Seattle for the past year, but again, I didn't have the guts to look for a new job here. I wanted to be close to mom, and now that she and Ray are moving to Seattle, and they're having a baby, I know that I don't want to miss out on my little brother or sister's life." She says with a shrug. "I think I was just settling, but after being here for just a few days, I realized just how much I've been missing out on by doing that. I stayed in a relationship that I wasn't happy in. Every day, I wake up to go to a job I hate with every fiber of my being. I look at you all, and I finally understand that I will never be able to find the kind of happiness you guys have by settling."

"What kind of a job are you looking for?" I ask, momentarily putting the notion of her and Elliot in the back of my mind.

"I've been a junior PR assistant for the past 3 years. The company I work for has no room for development and career improvement."

"When do you go back to New York?"

"Tomorrow evening." She says with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"I want you to change your flight for Monday evening, and if you'd like to, I'd like to have you come to GEH Monday morning. The head of my PR department has been complaining about her assistant for the last few months, but she hasn't provided me with a suitable replacement. I want you to meet her, have some sort of an informal interview. We'll see where things go from there." I say with a smile. "How does that sound?"

"That sounds amazing!" Nikki beams at me and moves to hug me, but holds herself back at the last minute.

 _Someone's been paying attention._

"Now, about Elliot." I say, making her look at him again, then blush when she sees that he's been looking at her as well. "I know what kind of reputation my brother has, but I've never seen him look at a girl the way he looks at you."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't really know how to explain it, but he's different around you." I say and turn to look at him, making him raise his eyebrows at me in silent question. I then see Ana approach him, and his eyes leave Nikki and I to pay attention to what Ana is saying.

"Even if I don't want something serious, I'm not the kind of girl who has one-night-stands, Christian." Nikki says, her face forming a small frown.

"Tell him that. Make it clear that you're not that type of girl." I say and smile at her encouragingly. "If he's really serious about you, and I honestly think he is, he'll respect that."

"Do you think he'll be ok with me wanting to be friends first? Like, getting to know each other better before we take a more serious step. He might not like me."

"You're an amazing person, Nikki. Any guy would be lucky to have you." I say and reach to hold her hand. As I say that, I realize that I'm talking to her much like I would Mia, and I find that I'm having a sense of protectiveness over her.

"I don't want things to get messy if it doesn't work out between us." She says with another sigh. "I'm sorry, I know I sound very negative now, but I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the new family I've just gained."

"First of all, I really don't think you need to worry about that, but, and this is a huge but, if things don't work out between you and Elliot, I believe the two of you are mature enough to not make it awkward."

Nikki stays silent for a long minute, looking between me and Elliot, who now appears to be listening intently to what Ana is telling him, and then she just smiles at me.

"Thank you, Christian." She says as she squeezes my hand. "You're like the brother I never had."

"And you're like the quiet and calm sister I always wished I had." I say, earning a smack upside the head that catches me by surprise, and when I turn to look behind me, I see Mia standing there with a small pout on her face.

"Well, your bubbly and wild sister wanted to dance with you, but since you don't like me so much, I think I'll go ask Elliot to dance." She says, but judging by the twinkling in her eyes, I know she's not upset by what I said. "He's always been my favorite brother anyway."

"In that case, please give me back the credit cards you have." I say with a smirk, making her eyes grow wide at me.

"Wanna dance, my dear, loving brother?" She asks, her voice dripping sweetness, making Nikki and I burst out laughing at her.

"Of course." I say and stand up, but then I look at Nikki, and without even thinking about it twice, I reach down to give her a quick hug, earning a gasp from both her and Mia. "You're family." I simply say before I lead Mia to the dance floor.

"I'm glad she turned out to be a nice person in the end." Mia says as she wraps her arms around my neck.

"Me too." I say with a smile. "So, Barney?" I ask, making her eyes grow wide in horror, and she actually stops dancing.

"How…" She stutters, not able to form a full sentence.

"I know everything, Mia." I say with a chuckle and nudge her to continue dancing. "You should know that by now."

"Uh… umm…" She stutters again before she rests her forehead on my shoulder and groans.

 _She fucking groans!_

"I'm not breaking up with him, Christian." She says, and this time, I'm the one who's so shocked I stop dancing.

"What?" I ask, making her look at me with tears in her eyes. "Hey, no tears. Please."

"I didn't tell you because I know how you feel about me dating anyone who works for you, but Barney is a great guy, and I'm not going to break up with him just because you don't approve of our relationship."

"Ok, first of all, calm down." I say, making her take a deep breath. "Second of all, I never said I don't approve of your relationship. If I didn't, I would've talked to you about the minute I found out weeks ago."

"You only found out weeks ago?" She asks, making me raise my eyebrow at her. "Damn, your people are getting weak. We've been seeing each other for about 4 months now."

"Oh." I say, and I'm suddenly hurt that she's been hiding this for that long.

"Is he good to you?" I ask, receiving a dreamy look from her.

"He's the best I've ever been with." She says, making me look at her in horror. "Not like _that_ , you perv!" She says and smacks my shoulder. "Although, he is rather wild in the sheets. You would think that a nerd like him would be…"

"Mia!" I snap, making her quickly shut up. "I do NOT need to know these kinds of details about my baby sister!"

"Sorry." She says with a giggle, earning an eye roll from me. "But he's really good to me. He cares about me like no one ever has."

"You love him, don't you?" I ask, realizing the look in her eyes, and the way she talks about him, is very similar to the way I look at Ana and talk about her.

"Yes." She says with a blush. "But we haven't told each other that yet, so don't go around opening your mouth to him!" She warns, making me smile at her.

 _My baby sister is growing up!_

"I won't, I promise." I say and pull her close to me once the song ends and blends into a different song. "I just want to see you happy, Mia, and I can see that you are. That's all that matters to me."

"Thank you." She says as she rests her head on my chest and lets out a dreamy sigh.

"May I cut in?" I hear Ana ask from beside us, making Mia and I look at her with beaming smiles.

"Of course." Mia says before she places a quick kiss on my cheek and goes to bother Jose and Ethan again.

"Hey, beautiful." I say as I pull her into my arms before we start dancing to whatever song is now playing.

"Hey there yourself, handsome." Ana says with a smile. "How did things go with Nikki?"

"Good." I say and look behind her, to see that Nikki is now talking to Elliot. "I see things went good with Elliot as well."

"I'd say so." Ana says with a happy sigh. "I honestly think these two are going to end up being married one day."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?" I chuckle at her, my hopelessly romantic fiancé.

 _And to even think she didn't believe in love a few months ago!_

"It's like you're my personal cupid." She says, making me look at her with confused eyes. "Everyone has found their happily ever after when you came into my life."

"Jose and Ethan were already together when we met." I say, making her roll her eyes at me.

"Don't go all technical on me." She says with a giggle. "Besides, they got engaged after we met."

"Fine, I'll accept that." I say with a proud smile, happy that Ana believes that I'm the source of her happiness and that of everyone around her. "Next time we attend a wedding, it'll be you in a white dress."

"And you'll be the handsome man waiting for me at the altar." She says, then she suddenly freezes in her spot, and when her hand flies to her stomach, I freeze as well, and I look at her with scared eyes.

"Are you ok?" I ask, worried that something is wrong. "Ana, talk to me, baby."

"I think he just moved." She says after another second of silence. "I felt a flutter in my belly."

"Are you sure?" I ask again, still worried by the shocked look on her face.

"Yes!" She says with a now beaming smile and tears in her eyes. "Talk again. I think he's reacting to your voice."

Without even thinking about what I'm doing, I fall to my knees and rest my head against Ana's small belly.

"Hey there, baby boy." I say, earning a gasp from Ana. "This is your daddy. Are you trying to tell me that you can't wait for us to get married too?" I ask and look up at Ana, who is nodding at me while the tears are falling down her face. "Well, I can't wait to meet you, son. Your mom and I love you so much already."

"Everything ok?" I hear Ray ask, but I can't take my eyes off of Ana, who just nods at her dad.

"Did he just move?" Sandra asks, and I can tell by the tone of her voice that she knows exactly what we're feeling.

"He did." I say as I softly kiss Ana's belly before I rise to my feet. "I guess he wanted to let us know that he's celebrating your wedding as well."

"How did it feel?" Ray asks as he looks at his daughter with amazement.

"Like a small flutter." Ana says, making Sandra nod, confirming the sensation.

"You're going to keep feeling that from now on. You'll get to feel it in a few more weeks, Christian." Sandra says with a beaming smile.

"I can't wait." I say as I wrap my arm around Ana's shoulder.

And as I say that, I realize that feeling my son kick is not the only thing I can't wait to feel. I can't wait to marry his mother, I can't wait to feel him in my arms, I can't wait to give him another sibling or two, and most of all, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with Ana.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would find love, but Ana has proven me wrong. She has given me everything I wanted and more, and I can't wait to give her everything she's ever dreamed of.


End file.
